The Book of Knowledge
by animebookworm44
Summary: Booker decides to write a book on Jimmy's life, hoping it'll bring about some people who may help him. But this book may stir up more suspicions than helpers. JimmyxRachel ShinichixRan FINISHED!
1. Chapter 1

Hello, everybody! I've decided to go forward with my next fic!

**TO REVIEWERS:** I would like you to review for this one, too! And plz check out my author page for some questions I would like answered in your reviews, thanks!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Case Closed/ Detective Conan or Harry Potter

**Pairings:** Jimmyx Rachel  
ShinichixRan

And onto the story!

* * *

**The Book of Knowledge

* * *

**

It was a normal night at the Moore Detective Agency: Richard was inhaling alcohol so fast it would keep anyone intoxicated for days, Rachel was cleaning all his beer bottles and cans into a trash bag, and Conan was inside his broom closet of a room reading detective novels.

And this was when the very loud doorbell rang.

"Guests?" Rachel asked, absently. "Oh, no! What'll I do when they see this?" she asked rhetorically, gesturing to her now KO'd father.

"Rachel?" A female voice called. "Are you there?"

Rachel froze.

**Chapter 1**

Conan froze.

He hadn't just heard the voice he thought he did, right?

"Mrs. Kudo?" Rachel called out the window.

"Rachel, honey! It's so nice to see you!"

Rachel was struck speachless. Did this mean that Jimmy was back? With a quick, "I'll open the door," Rachel was off.

"Rachel, my dear you have grown so much since the last time I saw you! When _was_ that?" Vivian Kudo asked thoughtfully, embracing the teen after she had opened the door to the agency, and ignoring the sleeping detective next to her.

"About the time you left for America," Rachel said, remembering.

"Right! And Jimmy refused to leave!"

"What?" Rachel asked.

Inside his room, Conan was debating. '_Do I pretend I know her? Or do I- She lives next-door to my 'relative', of course I know her!_'

"Auntie Vivian!" Conan asted, breaking their conversation at an opportune moment.

"Conan? Is that you?"

"You know him?" Rachel asked.

"Well he is a relative of my next-door neighbor! We crashed a family reunion once. That's where I met him. Conan, I haven't seen you since..."

"Er- the last family reunion! But that was a long time ago since Dr. Agasa got into that fight with my mother and she wouldn't let me see him," Jimmy quickly made up.

"Right, well, I was hoping to see you. You see your mother sent you a birthday present, for tomorrow. Fanny Edogawa, very nice lady don't you think, Rachel?"

"Hm? Oh, yes. Very nice,"

"And here it is! Why don't you go into your room and open it, Conan!" Vivian handed him a box. It was relatively small, about the size of a box in which you would put a piece of jewlery.

"Uh, Mrs. Kudo-"

"Vivian, dear," Jimmy's mother interrupted.

"Er- Vivian, is Jimmy with you?"

This caught Conan's attention and he looked up from the box he was inspecting.

"Actually, he's here with us until tomorrow. Celebrating his birthday and all," she said.

_'Oh, yeah. My birthday_ is _tomorrow. Wait- did she just say I was actually here !'_

"Why don't you hurry and open that present, Conan?" Vivian prodded, actually pushing him this time.

Conan, taking this as a sign she wanted to say something embarassing about his counterpart, left the room with the odd little package in his hands. Going back to his broom-closet, he steadily tore off the wrapping.

---

_Kudo,_

_I made a 24 hour pill for you-- think of it as a birthday present. Use it wisely._

_Haibara_

---

A 24 hour pill? This was the best birthday present he could have gotten! Now he could spend his birthday with Rachel-- actually as himself. But-- he'd have to take it without Rachel knowing. A thought occurred to him.

"Aunty Viv?" he called out into the hall.

"Yes, Conan?" she called back.

Stepping out of his room, Conan continued, "May I stay with you tonight? I want to talk about stuff with Jimmy! I've solved a lot of cases while he's been away! And he'll just love them!"

"Why Conan! That's a grand idea! You wouldn't mind, would you, Rachel?"

"Not at all... May I come to drop him off?" Rachel asked, selfishly hoping for a glance of Jimmy.

* * *

Sitting in bed at a very late (or rather early) hour, Jimmy thought of what he would do the following day- his birthday. He had already undressed and taken off the glasses, told his parents not to come if they heard him yell and scream, and taken a glass of water to the bedside table.

Deciding now would be as good a time as ever, he swallowed the pill, lying back in the bed.

Now all he had to do was wait.

* * *

"Morning, mom," Jimmy greeted as he entered the kitchen to Vivian Kudo's cooking. He kissed his mother on the cheek.

She dropped the spatula she was holding. "Jimmy?" she asked, "Is it really you?"

"Yes, mum," he said, rummaging in the kitchen refrigerator for something to drink.

"Jimmy!" she shouted, glomping him.

"Jimmy?" a male voice asked. This belonged to Jimmy's father, Booker Kudo. "Well, it's good to see you at your own height. That girl said this would leave you like you for today, right?"

"Nice to see you too, dad," Jimmy replied, finding some orange juice that hadn't gone bad.

Vivian spun the plate now filled with pancakes to the table. "Eat up, Kudo's," she said, sitting down at the kitchen table. Booker followed her example, and he was followed by Jimmy.

Breakfast was silent until Booker spoke up.

"I was thinking, Jimmy. What if I made a story, fictional of course, about what's happened to you? I think children'll love it! It would be the next Harry Potter! (which I don't own) And I could use that journal you keep of all your cases that's upstairs,"

"I don't think so, dad. My life isn't _that_ exciting," Jimmy replied. "And I don't really think you could ever beat Harry Potter,"

"Well we could sure try!" Booker said.

"Do what you want," Jimmy said, getting up from the table to change.

"Jimmy-"

"Let him be, Booker," Vivian interrupted as Jimmy left the room, "He's got other things on his mind," she said suggestively.

"Ah, well in any case, I wanted to ask her to be in the book too. It would be missing dramatic and romantic flair if Rachel was left out,"

"Oh Jimmy!" Vivian called. "Rachel said she'd be over in about an hour!"

"What!" Jimmy shouted, frantically. He immediately rushed upstairs.

* * *

A doorbell rang at exactly 10:00.

Booker was first downstairs to answer it.

It was no surprise to see Rachel Moore standing there.

"Hello, Rachel. No need to ask who you're here to see. Jimmy!" he called.

Jimmy was next downstairs.

And every thought of everything he ever wanted to say to her, left him.

"Rachel," Jimmy said.

"Jimmy," she said back. "Is that really you?"

Booker took this time to close the door, and make his exit.

It was a good thing too, because Jimmy was glomped the next second.

"You idiot!" she shouted at him, breaking her hug slightly. "Do you know how often I wondered what you were doing? Whether you were in trouble? Whether I would even see you again!"

"Aww, Rach. You were worried about me!" he shouted teasingly. "Did you cry over me too?"

"I was NOT worried and I did NOT cry!"

"I think you did," Jimmy said, still joking. "Remember, Conan slept over last night,"

Rachel was at a loss for words. She stuttered a few phrases. Then turned away, "If I get my hands on that little squealer-" she started. "Wait-- where _is_ Conan?"

"Er-" Jimmy stuttered.

The doorbell rang again.

"Who could that be?" Jimmy asked, grateful for the change in subject.

In the doorway stood the Junior Detective League.

"Wow! He really is Jimmy Kudo!" Amy said wondrously.

"And Miss Rachel's hugging him," Mitch couldn't overlook.

This made the now blushing teens break apart.

"Is she your girlfriend?" George asked Jimmy.

"No we're just friends!" they both shouted at the same time. This brought back a serious deja vu for everyone about a certain time in a grocery store.

"You must be Amy, George, and Mitch," Jimmy said, naming them one by one.

"Wow! He really is a good detective!" Amy said.

"Er- actually Conan told me," Jimmy said, inviting them in.

"Conan?" Amy's face brightened. "So he's here?"

"Er-" Jimmy said again, back on the topic he tried to avoid.

They were interrupted by the sound of running feet, loud vomiting, and a voice that said, "Auntie Viv? I don't feel so good," to which Vivian Kudo answered, "It's alright, Conan, we'll just put you straight to bed,"

Jimmy was astounded.

"So he's sick? And on his birthday, too... Can we at least say 'Hi'?" Amy asked.

"Er- I don't think so, he may be contagious,"

"Then I'll take care of him!" Amy suggested.

"Thanks, Amy, but I think my mother's taking care of it,"

Amy's face became downcast, and both Mitch and George turned their attention to cheering her up.

"Mitch, George, Amy!" Jimmy's father called from the stairs. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure Mr. Kudo!" everyone shouted, seeing the great mystery novelist in person.

"Look at all these books!" Mitch marveled at the front hall, his voice getting farther away as the Jr. Detectives followed Booker, leaving Jimmy and Rachel to themselves.

"I wonder what he wanted to talk to them about," Rachel said absently.

"Probably about the new book he'll be writing," Jimmy said. "It's on the adventures of Conan Edogawa,"

"Cute!" Rachel said. "Er- Jimmy?"

"Yes?"

"Happy Birthday," she said, blushing and holding out a package.

"Rach, you didn't have to... I even missed seeing you on your birthday,"

"Yes, but you did leave me a present," she said. "And I wanted to see you," she added quietly, but Jimmy caught it.

"Thanks," Jimmy said, being forward and kissing her on the cheek.

Rachel, blushing furiously, tried desperately to bring a change in subject, "A-a-aren't you going to open it?" she asked, stuttering.

"Sure," he said.

He smiled at the content. It was the latest, and most awaited, detective novel. Jimmy, being Conan, never thought to ask for it because it would have adult scenes in it. But it was alright for Jimmy.

"Jeez, Rach! You don't know how long I've been waiting for this! It doesn't come out in America for months!"

"I figured," she said.

He hugged her, smiling the whole time.

"But I got you a present, too," he said.

"Jimmy! It's _your_ birthday!"

"I know, but I _did_ promise," he said, pulling out two tickets to Tropical Land.

* * *

"Thanks for today, Jimmy. It was great," Rachel said as the taxi stopped in front of her house. It was about dusk, and the sun had just set. The setting of which they watched atop the ferris wheel. Both teens got out of the vehicle.

"I had fun too..."

"You have to leave tonight..."

"Yep..."

"What are you going to do for the rest of the night?..."

"Why not spend it with my best friend at the movies?..." he said slyly, glancing at her.

"Really!" she shouted.

"Hey, why not?"

"Thank you, Jimmy!" she shouted, hugging him again.

"... Er- Rachel? I-I-I wanted to tell you something,"

"What is it, Jimmy?" Rachel asked curiously, pulling herself slightly away from Jimmy.

'_No, don't tense up_ now _of all times!_' He thought when his body didn't respond to the opening of his mouth. "Rach, I-"

"Rachel?" a voice asked. Rachel froze.

"Serena?" Rachel asked.

Serena Sebastian, Rachel's best female friend, was coming out of the Detective Agency.

"Well, I didn't expect you to get so far this fast with him, girl! When did he get back? Today?"

"Yesterday, FYI," Jimmy butted in.

"Oh well. Rachel, Mr. Kudo wants to talk to us. He's with your dad right now," she said.

"My dad's here?" Jimmy asked.

"Uh, duh!" Serena ungraciously replied.

Rachel, curious, separated from Jimmy and went up the stairs to her father's office. Jimmy followed closely, and he was followed by Serena.

"Mr. Kudo?" she asked.

"Rachel!" he greeted. "I wanted to ask you a few questions,"

"Dad?"

"Jimmy? I didn't expect you to be here,"

"Well if I've been with Rachel all day-"

"All day!" Richard shouted, apparently disgusted that his daughter would spend the day with his rival.

"Yes, father. All day," Rachel said, being defiant.

Richard was now at a loss for words, and settled for opening and closing his moiuth like a fish.

"Well then," Booker said, breaking the silence, "I wanted to ask you three for permission to use you as characters in a book I'm writing about Conan. It'll all be fictional of course, so I wanted to know if you'd be okay with me tweaking your characters a little bit, if you choose to let me do it that is,"

"Be in a book?" Serena asked.

"Sure!" Rachel agreed automatically.

"How would I appeal to women?" Richard asked. He was promptly hit upside the head by Rachel.

"He'll do it," Rachel answered for him.

"If Rachel's doing it, I'll do it, sure!" Serena agreed.

"Great!" Booker shouted. "I'm going to start the book right away! Jimmy'll be in it, won't you Jimmy?"

"You asked this morning, dad,"

"Er- Mr. Kudo? Could you give us an idea of what the book is about?"

"Well, like I told you, it's fiction. Jimmy over here went one step too far on a case, and this syndicate tried to get rid of him. So he ends up shrinking, and that's where Conan comes in!"

Jimmy looked horrified.

"So then, he tries to solve crimes as a kid by improving the rep of a once famous detective, which would be your character, Mr. Moore. Don't worry, I'm not saying that that's real!" Booker said quickly at the look on Richard's face. "And of course, he has the help of his long-time crush Rachel and her friend Serena, and the Junior Detective League! I'd change all the names of course. No need to pretend this is real," he said, smiling at Jimmy.

"Wow! That sounds like a really good story, Mr. Kudo!" Rachel said enthusiastically.

"I have to agree with Rachel, and I don't read much!" Serena said.

"Well thank you, girls!" he said, "And where are you off to now, Jimmy?"

"Well, we were going to go to the movies-"

Richard started, then shouted, "No you're not! Not with my daughter!"

"Please, Mr. Moore," Serena butted, "They already act like a married couple. They were even voted best couple in the eighth grade for the yearbook! It was almost a unanimous vote! _I_ even voted for them! Even if I did have a long-standing relationship with Jake Corner at the time,"

The teens blushed.

"Bye!" Rachel and Jimmy shouted, speeding out of the Agency.

* * *

Breaking into fits of laughter, the teens came out of the movies.

"And then- when he jumped off the building- it was hilarious!" Rachel said, barely stringing a sentence together.

"But then- when he tried to tell her- I practically fell out of my seat!" Jimmy laughed back.

"And then when he was underwater- I almost died laughing!"

This pretty much continued until they got their bearings at a park bench just around the corner.

Jimmy glanced at his watch. It was midnight.

"Oh, Jimmy! That was too hilarious!" Rachel said, reduced only to giggles now.

"Yeah..." he agreed.

Falling into an awkward silence, the two teens surveyed the park, their eyes coming to rest on each other.

"Er- Rach, I-"

"Jimmy?" she asked.

"I've wanted to tell you something for a while now..."

"Well?"

"I think... Well Rach, I've liked you- er- for a long-"

"Jimmy!" a feminine voice called

Jimmy turned around to see a mob of girls. They screamed that girly-fangirl scream. He immediately spun into action. Grabbing Rachel by the hand, he ran.

And ran.

And ran.

And ran.

And still the mob of girls was on their tail, although losing members as they went along.

"Rachel!" he shouted. "I have to go soon, but I need to tell you something!"

"Jimmy?" she shouted "I can't hear you!"

"Rachel!" he shouted back again, not hearing Rachel's comment. "I've liked you for a long time!"

"What?" she shouted back.

"I like you a lot, Rachel!"

"What?"

Jimmy stopped, swiftly turned around and said, "I love you,"

And he kissed her.

The mob of girls immediately stopped in their tracks.

He glanced at his watch again. It was one.

"I'm sorry, Rachel. I've got to go again. Please forgive me," he said, kissing her once more.

He ran off, leaving Rachel staring wide-eyed at the space he once occupied. The fangirls stared at Rachel, some glaring, some with their eyes full with the romanticism of his confession and how they'd been there to see it.

* * *

Jimmy felt his chest begin to burn once he got through the door of his house.

"Jimmy?" Vivian called. "Is that you?"

She came out into the hall to see Jimmy keeled over near the stairs.

"Oh!" she said "It's happening, isn't it!"

Jimmy quickly nodded, trying once again to go upstairs to his room. He fell yet again as another searing line of pain ripped through him.

He stifled a loud yell.

Booker came into the room. "Jimmy? Are you-" he cut off at the sight.

"Help me get him upstairs, Booker!" Vivian called, supporting Jimmy with an arm.

They quickly laid Jimmy on his bed, and closed the door, promising not to come if he yelled.

* * *

The following day, Conan was returned to the Moore's by Dr. Agasa, who insisted that the Kudo's had dropped him off when they had to leave.

"Are you feeling better, Conan?" Rachel asked, somewhat distracted. She had yet to reveal to anyone the confession of the last night.

"Yes, Rachel!" Conan said, his little boy attitude getting the better of her.

The Television was on, and from it came an unexpected report.

_"Today, booksellers are swamped with the release of Booker Kudo's newest novel, The Secret life of Conan Edogawa, Volume 1. Apparently, the children's novel has been long awaited in America and now the craze has come to Japan! Editors say that..."_

"He'd already written the book!" Conan and Rachel shouted.

"Whaaaa?" Richard said, his hangover getting the better of him.

_"Editors have high hopes for the series, the next of which will be out in six months. Some say it may outsell even Harry Potter!... And in other news..._"

* * *

TBC

* * *

Hehehehe, first chappie done!

_**REVIEW! PLEASE!**_

**next chapter**: More things about the book and it's popularity, but some of it's contents stir up suspicions in more than one person.

animebookworm


	2. Chapter 2

And another chapter of the Book of Knowledge!

THANKS TO ALL REVIEWERS!

**Disclaimer:** Standard

Onto the chappie!

* * *

Over the next few weeks, book sellers constantly ran out of the Secret life of Conan Edogawa.

Rachel was distracted throughout the remainder of the summer holiday by thoughts of Jimmy and his strange confession that left her wondering: ws that just to stop the mob, or did he really mean it?

And Conan was hounded by people who knew him, about the book.

**Chapter 2**

The school year came as quickly as one can imagine for a student. Amy, Mitch, and George were again put in the same class as Conan, who was secretly happy about that.

Conan hadn't read the books for himself, seeing as he'd lived them, more than anyone could imagine. But he'd gotten the gist of it from the raving and ranting public citizens and police officers who recognised him.

It was the truth.

His own father had printed the truth about him, as a fictional story.

And of course, he had used the name Conan was living by, seeing as the name was fictional anyway. However, all of the other characters had been given different names.

Of course, to people who knew him, the characters were easily identifiable.

Raya Morgan... Rachel Moore

Robert Morgan... Richard Moore

Sera Sweetnam... Serena Sebastian

Amanda Yosaka... Amy Yoshida

Michael Tsubara... Mitch Tsuburaya

Gregory Kazuhara... George Kojima

Jimmy Kuzishi... Jimmy Kudo

Conan Edogawa... himself

There were many other made-up names that weren't so obvious, being that they were people associated with the crimes and not many people could recognise them as criminals listed in the paper.

And of course, the romantic tension between Conan and Raya...

'_Dangit,_' Conan thought on his way to school, '_He had to use my name. Does he know how horrible this could end up? Finding my journal... that must have taken him a while. But I did keep a detailed account of all my cases in there. That's where his material is coming from,_'

"Conan!" came a shout from behind the school gates. Amy had come to greet him on the first day of school.

"Hey, Amy!" Conan said.

"How did you like the book?" she asked immediately.

"Oh, I didn't read it. I lived it after all," he said.

"That's a good point," she said as he walked around the other side of the gate, finally face-to-face.

Conan was then astounded by the quiet that surrounded the schoolyard.

Everyone had their noses in a book.

The same book was in Amy's hands.

"Wow, I didn't actually think the book would be this popular,"

"Hey, Conan! Did you see this!" Amy pointed to the book in her hands, opening to a page, "Mr. Kudo even wrote us in! Look! Although, he did make me your girlfriend,"

"He did what!"

"Oh, relax. It's only... kinda. You see, in order for you to like me, you'd have to give up Raya, so it increases the dramatic tension! Instead, I only like you and call you my boyfriend, although..." she trailed off.

Conan, anxious to get away from the subject, "Where are Mitch and George?"

"They're finishing reading. Honestly, those two couldn't read a children's book as fast as a dog!"

"I thought Mitch was good at reading," Conan said, surprised at Amy's sudden outburst.

"He is, George isn't. And George has been bugging Mitch to help him read it, but don't tell them I know. George bribed Mitch to keep it a secret," she said, putting a finger to her lips.

"Right," he said.

* * *

"Alright, class. The school board has decided to change the reading criteria for this year. Instead of reading, Where the Blue Violet Grows, we'll be reading the new popular book-"

The class emitted a loud groan.

"Please don't say The Secret Life of Conan Edogawa, volume 1!" a student cried.

"Well, I figured you'd already read that, so I asked Mr. Kudo specially to send us something," she pulled a leather-bound book out. "This is the first chapter of Volume 2, children,"

The class gasped with excitement.

"We've made copies of all the pages. Mr. Kudo said he'll send us a new chapter every week, so that we'll know what happens before anyone else!"

They cheered.

"Uh, Teacher? Do we have to read it?"

"Why wouldn't you, Amy? What gives you, Mitch, George, and Conan immunity?"

"Er- The fact that we lived it?"

The class gasped again.

"You mean you really are the guy he based this off of, Conan?" someone asked.

"Er- well they're my adventures, but there's some of Jimmy's in there too. And that part about me being Jimmy is fictional!" he said, trying to get out of the mess his father had gotten him into.

"And we're the Amanda, Gregory, and Michael in it!" Amy said happily, pointing to each in turn.

The class chatted and broke out into whispers at this news.

Conan rolled his eyes. They really didn't have to make this big a deal out of it! He glanced out the window.

And his eyes went wide.

Running over to the windowsill, he took off his glasses and cleared his eyes.

No, he wasn't seeing things!

"Conan?" Teacher asked.

"A-A-Amy?" Conan stuttered. "Please come over here and tell me that there aren't two men in black coats, glasses, and hats outside the elementary school,"

"Sure, Conan!" she said, thinking it a joke. Coming over to the windowsill by him, her face went rigid.

He was right. Outside the Titan Elementary school gates were two men. Both were in black hats, glasses and coats. One had long blonde hair, and the other's hair (if he had any) was indistinguishable. And finally, both were looking up at the classroom they were currently in.

"C-C-Conan... you don't think that they think you're actually Jimmy, do you?" Amy asked tentatively. "And you don't think they're from an actual crime syndicate, right? Right!" Amy asked frantically.

_'NO! NO! NO! How did they find me! I hid this so well! And then my father-_' he cut off his thoughts.

"Conan!" Amy shouted, apparently not at all eased by his silence.

"Wha?" Mitch said, "You mean there really are two men out there?"

He came over to the windowsill, shouting as he saw what Conan and Amy had seen.

"Very funny, you three," Teacher said. "Now let's get back to class,"

"But Teacher- there really are two men out there, see?" a girl said.

"What!" Teacher asked.

"Yeah! I see 'em too!" someone else joined.

"What if it's a real crime syndicate?"

"That's so cool!"

"Conan is awesome!"

"I wonder what they want,"

"Amy," Conan said sternly, holding the whole class's attention. "You, Mitch, and George stay here. If they're here for anyone, it's me,"

"But Conan!" Amy tried to dissuade him, pulling him back into the classroom. "You don't really know if they're from a crime syndicate! They could just be... evaluators or something!"

"Yeah! Evaluators!" Mitch agreed.

"They aren't," Conan shot down.

"What?" Amy said.

"How do you know?" Mitch tried.

"Because I recognise them,"

The silence that followed pierced the ears of all of the students.

"C-C-Conan?" Amy asked.

"They poisoned me," he stated simply, and left the classroom.

* * *

Rachel Moore had been _very_ distracted lately.

Even those who didn't know her well knew that something was up.

Her thoughts lately were filled with Jimmy, Jimmy... and more Jimmy.

_'He said he loved me..._

_But he had to leave..._

_He looked like he meant it..._

_But we did have a horde of fangirls chasing after us...'_

Rachel emitted a loud groan, which caught the attention of several people in the classrom. It was a break between classes, and Rachel was sitting at her desk, thinking.

"Rachel!" Serena said, waving a hand over her friend's face.

"Huh? What? Oh, hi, Serena,"

"Jeez, Rach, you're mighty distracted... Is it about a boy?"

Rachel didn't answer.

"Is it about Jimmy?"

Silence.

"Did he really confess that he loved you in front of a horde of fangirls?"

"Whaaa!" Rachel asked, wondering how she knew. She herself hadn't told anyone, not even Conan, who she really couldn't keep a secret from.

"Oh my gosh! I _knew_ it!" Serena said, punching the air.

Rachel quickly covered Serena's mouth with a hand.

"Shhhhhh!" she prodded. "How did you know?"

"Well you know me, gossip girl! I talked with some of the girls in that mob chasing you. They said it was so romantic!"

"Shhhh!" she said again.

"Jeez, Rach! No need to worry! You two have acted like you were married since... since..."

"Second grade," some guy piped up, the conversation had certainly not gone unnoticed.

"No, I remember them before that!" a girl said, "I think it was kindergarten!"

"No, no no," Serena finished. "I remember them from Pre-K," she finished. "Now that I think about it, it's kinda cute!"

"Actually, I think it was before Pre-K," a girl named Yokino said. "We were in day care together. My mother has video tapes of them!"

"Video!" someone said, "I gotta see that!"

Rachel put a hand to her forehead. She should have known it would be like this. Like any news would go more than a month without circulating through the whole high-school population.

"So, Rach? You gonna give us the inside scoop? Or are we gonna have to pry it outta you?" Serena asked, knowing she had won this battle.

"Sit down, Ms. Sebastian," Jodie Saintmillion, their english teacher said, enterring the classroom.

"But Sensei!" Serena blurted.

"Please!" she said sternly, "I don't think everyone needs to know about the Angel's private life with Cool Guy, now if anyone else has anything to say?"

Rachel blushed madly and staggered back to her seat.

"Ms. Moore?" Jodie asked, "Are you alright?"

"I... think so," she said.

"Well, I don't," Jodie said simply, and pointed toward the door. "To the nurse's office. Now,"

"Yes, sensei," she said, picked up her bags and left.

She made her way in deep thought down to the nurse, who immediately classified her as sick and told her to go home as fast as she could.

But Rachel couldn't go home.

Not yet.

She couldn't put up with her father right now.

He wouldn't understand anything.

The one who would...

...Conan...

...was currently in school.

But still, she found herself walking toward where he was, as if drawn to him in some way.

Turning the corner, she saw Conan's face disappear from his classroom window. Had he seen her? No, he wasn't looking this way. What was he-?

She saw two men in black coats standing in front of the school, looking up at the same window.

She recognised them immediately.

"Hey! You're the guys from the roller coaster!" she shouted, not able to help herself.

"Rachel?" a child's voice came.

"Conan? What are you doing out of class?"

"Er- Teacher wanted me to come and see what these guys wanted. Do you know them?"

"I met them once, in passing," she said, trying not to remember that day.

"Oh,"

"Well don't keep the kid waiting! What do you want?" Rachel said, trying to take her mind off the coaster.

"Er- Just checking out the school, ma'am," one man said.

The other, with the long blonde hair, spoke up, "Hey, aren't you supposed to be in school?"

"I- was sent home, for your information!"

"Nee-chan? Are you sick?" Conan asked, concerned.

That was just like him to be concerned for her health.

"No, Conan. I'm fine,"

"What's your name, kid?" the blonde man asked.

"Conan," Rachel answered.

"Last name?" he asked, glaring at Rachel.

"I'm not allowed to give my name to strangers," he said.

"It wouldn't happen to be Edogawa would it?" the blonde smiled evilly.

Both Rachel and Conan froze, not sure of what to do.

Rachel knew these men were no good. And how did they know this boy was Conan Edogawa?

"Well, that's a definate 'maybe'," the other man joked.

"Come on," the blonde said, smacking the other guy in the head. "Let's go,"

They turned away.

Rachel and Conan watched until they turned the corner.

"Nee-chan? Would you like me to come home with you?" Conan asked, apparently conxerned.

'_Yes!_' Rachel's mind screamed. "Uh, no, Conan. I can't keep you from your education," she said. "See you after school!" she strolled along.

_'You wanted him to come. You know you did. But you can't pin all your troubles on him. Just because he looks like Jimmy, talks like Jimmy, has a knack for finding mysteries like Jimmy, gestures like Jimmy... oh stop! He is not Jimmy!..._

_...At least I think so._

_I've told him everything. And he's always been there. There wasn't even a slight reaction to anything I ever said to him about Jimmy, nothing to indicate that he is Jimmy, no evidence at all!_

_Then why do I still believe in my heart that he is?_

_I mean, it_ is _strange that he would be there when Jimmy wasn't. When Conan disappears, Jimmy reappears. Just an unlikely coincidence, that's all!_

_But still..._

_It's impossible! How can a seventeen year-old shrink into a seven year-old? It's scientifically impossible! It would make a good fiction novel._

_WAIT!_'

Finding herself in front of a bookstore in the middle of downtown, Rachel couldn't bring herself to go any furthur.

_'A good fiction novel..._'

Making up her mind, she went into the bookstore.

The lady manning the counter was surprised to see a high-school student in her shop during school hours. The girl didn't look like she was someone who would skip school.The ladywas even more surprised when the girl came up to the counter and bought a children's book.

* * *

"Amy," Conan said, watching Rachel continue down the street.

"Conan?" came a crackling noise from a badge he wore on his lapel.

The badge sported the name: Detective Boys. It was created for the Jr. Detective League by their main benefactor: Dr. Agasa. The badges served as a two-way radio and tracker that could broadcast within 20 miles.

"I'm going after them,"

"What! But Conan-"

"I can't let them get away, Amy! Not again!"

"If they were bad then why didn't they do anything to you?"

"Rachel came along. They didn't want a high-school student mixed up now with the syndicate. They prefer to kill off their victims when they get some, but more than that, they don't like to involve any outsiders,"

"...Jeez, Conan. You know a lot about these guys,"

"I've been collecting information through Detective Moore for months,"

"...Wow, Conan! You're just like a real detective! Kinda like... Jimmy Kudo," she finished.

"Thanks, Amy. As soon as you can, head over to Dr. Agasa's and-"

"Conan Edogawa! You get your third-grade butt back here!"

Apparently, Teacher had grabbed the badge from Amy.

"Sorry, no-can-do, Teacher. They're responsible for- for the car crash that my parent's almost died in!" he made up.

A collective gasp could be heard over the radio as the class heard the news and stuck their faces to the windows of the classroom.

Conan bent, twisting a knob on his shoes. Then he jumped.

"Amy!" Conan shouted, once he was over the other side of the fence.

"I'm here, Conan!" she said, either grabbing the radio back form Teacher, or making George or Mitch get out theirs.

"Get to Dr. Agasa's house as soon as you can! This radio is a tracker, remember? You can use it to find me!"

"Right!" she said.

Conan broke the connection.

Everyone in the classroom looked at Teacher.

"Miss Yoshida," she stated. "You'd better get to that Dr. Agasa's house, dear,"

"Yes!" the whole class shouted.

* * *

TBC!

* * *

Hehehe! Hope you liked it!

**Next Chapter:** Conan follows and Rachel learns

THANKS TO REVIEWERS!

REVIEW AGAIN!

animebookworm44


	3. Chapter 3

And another chapter of TBoK. I'm happy with the reviews, although there were less...

SO, REVIEW!

**Disclaimer:** Standard

Oh, and to those who did review, THANK YOU!

Onto the chapter!

* * *

A boy of eight hastily turned the corner of a street.

Immediately seeing two unwelcome people in the midst of the busy crowds, he zipped back around the corner, poking his head around once his body was covered.

**Chapter 3**

The perceptive eyes of this child noticed that the two men, wearing dark coats, hats and glasses, were buying something from a street vender.

However, the boy knew well enough that these two wouldn't stay long.

They only dealt with people in their secret organization, and didn't hang around public places for long, as someone may see and recognise their voices. They couldn't endanger the syndicate.

"Conan?"

"Amy?"

"We're at Dr. Agasa's house. Ai's here too. She want's to know what you've gotten yourself into. And you're showing up on the radar fine, so keep it up,"

"Okay. Tell Ai I'm following the twin drinks, and that I'll update soon. Oh, and who's 'we'?"

"Er- the whole class?"

"You took the whole class to Agasa's!"

"Sorry, Conan. Teacher wouldn't-"

"Nevermind," the young boy interrupted.

His men were on the move.

"Edogawa?"

"Haibara!"

"Since the Jr. Detective League badge has a tracker, do you think that you'd be able to get it on one of them?"

"No," Conan said hastily, ducking behind the cart where the men had just been browsing. The vender looked down at him in surprise, but Conan didn't notice. "They've seen my face. They'd know who I was. Not to mention, the badge is too big, one of them'd see it,"

"That's why I'm gonna tell you how to take the tracker out of the badge so you can slip it into one of their pockets or something,"

"I can't lose them, Ai. Stopping for the tracker would take too much time,'

"Then I suppose you'll have to do it on the move, won't you?"

Before Conan could say anything, Ai started giving instructions.

"Pull the front off the badge,"

Conan pulled, surprised at how easily it came off.

"Yep," he said, moving from the cart and ducking behind another. This earned stares from the owner of the first cart, the owner of the second, and the owners of two across the street.

"There's a shiny silver microchip in there. That's the tracking unit. Find the battery, it should be slightly larger than the microchip, and it should be black,"

Searching through the wires inside the badge, Conan found the black battery, leaving the cart he'd just hidden behind, and finding another.

"Alright. Detach the green wire that's linked to the battery on both ends,"

Conan didn't have time to worry if he'd get electrocuted.

"Yes,"

"You can take out the tracking unit now,"

"Alright,"

"The tracking unit will suffice on its own battery power for twenty-four hours. Let's hope that the place these guys are staying is within twenty miles, and doesn't take 24 hours to get to,"

Conan stifled a laugh.

Ducking out again through the street, he was surprised to bump into someone. And being as that someone was bigger than him, it knocked him over.

"I'm so sorry," a female voice said. "I wasn't looking where I was going and I-... Conan?"

Conan rubbed his head and looked up into the face of one Kazuha Toyama.

"Kazuha?"

"Conan! What are you doing out of school?"

"Kazuha! What are you doing _here_?"

"Well, actually," she looked thoughtful, "I was looking for Harley. He just ran off when he thought he saw Kudo- Hey! I asked you first!"

"Kazuha? I was wrong- Conan?" a voice belonging to the Detective of the West called.

"Harley!" Conan called, putting on his facade of third-grader. '_Thank the lord! He'll get me out of this!_'

"So, Conan, what are you doing here?"

Jimmy mentally smacked himself in the head. But before he could answer, Kazuha interrupted.

"He's skipping school, Harley. And I think we should take him back..."

During the next few moments, Kazuha rambled on and turned away from them. Conan took this prime opportunity to nudge Harley in the foot. Harley looked down at him, at which point Conan fixed him with a glare and tossed a look over his shoulder. Harley, looking in that direction now, saw two men in black coats.

_'Ha! Men in black. They don't look overly suspicious (reeking of sarcasm). I bet Kudo's tailing them because he thinks they were the ones who- HOLY COW! THEY ARE!_'

Harley's eyes widened, and Conan knew he understood.

Looking back at Conan, he nodded for him to follow them, then looking at Kazuha and rolling his eyes. Conan understood that he'd keep her busy, at least until he could come back and hear her sound lashing.

He trapsed away.

"What was that?" a crackle from his badge, it was Amy this time.

"That was Harley Hartwell and his girl- erm- friend, Kazuha,"

"Oh, kinda like you and Rachel, huh?" guessed Ai, who had taken over the badge again.

"WHAAA?"

"Nevermind, Kudo. Just keep it down,"

"YOU IDIOT! YOU LET HIM GET AWAY!" came a shout from behind him.

Conan could tell this was Kazuha.

"WELL EXCUSE ME FOR PAYING RAPT ATTENTION TO YOUR SPEECH ABOUT BEING UPSTANDING CITIZENS OF SOCIETY!" came Harley's retort.

"Er- lover's quarrel?" Haibara guessed at the end of the line.

"Yeah, something like that," Conan replied, dodging in and out of people to make his way toward the men in black, in order to slip the tracker into one of their suits.

He passed a meat stand and a vegetable stand, finally coming upon the men, who were stopped at a stand with expensive watches.

_'Piece of Cake,_' he thought, scrutinizing, from a safe distance, for the best place to put the tracker.

_'Pocket would be too easy, they could empty those...Brow of the hat? No, it could slip off..._' he thought, then finally decided on the cuff of the one named Gin's pants.

He reached forward, but was bowled over by a teen in the crowd.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "This book is- Conan?"

"R-R-Rachel?" he said timidly, trying to wriggle away.

"Conan? Are you following me?" she asked.

"What? No! Why would I be doing that!" he said.

Finding he'd moved the distance required. He slipped the object into the desired place. '_Gotcha,_' Jimmy thought.

"Conan, even if you were worried about me being sent home from school, that's no reasen to make an excuse to leave your school,"

_'Worried?... Oh, that's a good one,_' he thought, thanking Rachel for making up an excuse for him. "Sorry, Rachel. I couldn't help it. You worry all the time about me and Jimmy Kudo, I just wanted- I wanted to-"

"That's alright, Conan. And thank you. Jimmy would never have done that for me,"

"I'm sure he would, Rachel!" Conan said, protecting the thoughtfulness of his other identity.

"THERE HE IS!" Kazuha shouted, her eyes on the boy.

Conan stepped back, alarmed.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, mister!" she shouted at him. He looked toward Harley, who was rubbing his head that had a tinge of red. Conan guessed this was from a sound thump that Kazuha would have given him.

"Kazuha?"

"Why did you-... Rachel?"

"Oh, wow, Kazuha! I didn't know you and Harley were coming to visit!"

While the girls chatted, Harley found his way over to Conan.

"Kudo," Haibara said from across the line. "The tracker's moving fast. Is it you?"

"No," Conan replied, looking at Harley sympathetically as he rubbed his cheek. "The tracker was put on the hem of Gin's pants. We should get hideout details soon,"

"Good, because I don't think you would have slipped away from Moore, even with Hartwell's help,"

"... And you're probably right," Conan replied. "See you at Dr. Agasa's, Ai. Oh, and tell everyone to go back to school!" he said, switching the radio off.

"... came looking for me after he found out I was sent home from school. Isn't that sweet?" Rachel was talking animatedly with Kazuha.

"Oh, that's so cute!" she said. "Now if only Jimmy would do that to you," she said.

At the mention of Jimmy, Rachel looked down. The current situation and the land of the book had definately made her forget about her situation with Jimmy.

"Rachel?" Kazuha asked. "You don't look so hot, are you really sick? Or is it something to do with Jimmy?"

"...You got me," Rachel said, faking a smile.

"Pssst, Harley?" Conan whispered, holding out a set of keys. "Take the keys and invite everyone to my house. Tell them I sent them to you for you and Kazuha to use in case you wanted to come down here,"

"Right," he whispered back. "Well, since everyone's here, why don't we go to Kudo's house? He gave me the keys for Kazuha and me to use in case we ever wanted to visit!"

"He did?" both girls asked simultaneously.

* * *

"THAT'S SOOO KAWAII!" came a shout from Kazuha that was heard throughout the Kudo mansion.

Harley and Conan rolled their eyes. Rachel was no doubt currently telling Kazuha about her encounter with Jimmy. Harley and Conan were currently upstairs in Jimmy's bedroom. Conan had just finished telling Harley the whole story, too.

"Well, Kudo, you finally got the courage to tell her. That's great, but not what I wanted to talk to you about,"

"And what would that be?"

"That book your dad wrote,"

Conan groaned.

"Oh, so you're sick of it, too?" Harley continued. "Not only is it potentially dangerous, it's ruining my reputation with the fangirls,"

"The dangerous part is the one I'm worried about- not your fangirly reputation. But as you can plainly see, the BO is obviously starting to think that this is true. They came to my school today, Harley. I was following them afterward, trying to get a tracker on them. But now, they know about Rachel, because she happened to see them when she was walking by. They recognised her, Harley, and she recognised them,"

"How did that happen?"

"They were on the roller coaster during that murder-"

"Oh, right,"

"But don't you see how dangerous that is?"

"I see it, Kudo, but I don't think there's a way out of it anymore. You can't keep on protecting her- they know about her now,"

"But I can't let them get to her, Harley, I just can't,"

The two detectives sat in silence for a while, each thinking of a way to get out of the situation they were- or rather Jimmy was- currently in.

They were so lost in thought, they didn't hear the door open behind them.

The two teen girls were astounded at the quiet inside the room, and the fact that no one was paying attention to the fact that they were there.

"Ahem," Kazuha coughed, recieving no reaction from either of the two boys.

Looking around, Rachel was startled at the look on Conan's face. It bore striking resemblance to the one Jimmy would wear when he was thinking very hard about a case.

"IDIOT!" Kazuha then shouted, breaking the concentration of both the boys, and making the look disappear off Conan's face. "COULDN'T YOU AT LEAST BE A GOOD ENOUGH DETECTIVE TO NOTICE WHEN SOMEONE HAS ENTERED THE ROOM?" she shouted mercilessly at Harley. "ESPECIALLY IF THAT SOMEONE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND?"

"AND COULDN'T YOU BE A GOOD ENOUGH PERSON TO KNOW YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO INTERRUPT SOMEONE WHEN THEY'RE THINKING?" Harley fired back.

"IDIOT!"

"MORON!"

"JERK!"

"DOOFUS!"

During this time, Rachel and Conan simply slipped out of the room with an unheard, "Bye, we're leaving!"

"I hope they'll be alright," Rachel said thoughtfully, coming out of the house.

"Sure they will, Rachel, this happens all the time," Conan said nonchalantly, starting to walk away from the house, both hands behind his head.

Rachel looked at him oddly, but followed.

* * *

"Rachel Moore!" a very angry Serena Sebastian came up to Rachel the day after their encounter with Harley and Kazuha. "You have had your nose stuck in that book for all day! You didn't even call me yesterday, or even bothered to tell me that Kazuha and Harley are here!"

Rachel, who was currently on the last page of the book she happened to be reading, was very angry when Serena snatched the book away.

"Serena! Give it back!"

"Rachel! It's not even a romance novel! It's some children's story!"

"I'm on the last page!"

"It's not high-school reading material!"

"It's about Jimmy!" she said, snatching the book away.

Serena wore a very surprised and hurt look on her face. She quieted.

"It's about Jimmy," Rachel repeated, hugging the book to her chest, "... and I'm very... confused about Jimmy right now," she said, tears coming to her eyes.

"Rach, I-"

"It's fine, Serena. I just- I haven't talked to anyone about the _whole_ thing yet, not Dad, Conan, or Kazuha, and..."

"Take your time," Serena said, for once being considerate. The conversation had once again captured the attention of everyone sitting in the classroom before their English class.

Serena walked back to her seat.

* * *

That night, at the Moore detective Agency, the unshed tears of the morning began to fall as the girl cried at the window ledge in her room.

The small boy that was inadvertantly the cause of all this commotion and tears, watched them begin to fall from the face of his Angel.

He couldn't stand it.

He'd told her what he'd wanted to tell her for so long, and here she was, still crying.

"Neechan?" Conan asked, slipping into the room.

"Conan?" she sniffed, wiping the tears away. "What are you doing up? It's past your bedtime,"

"I'm sorry," he said, abruptly.

"What?"

"I'm sorry... whatever I did- to make you cry- I'm sorry for it,"

"Oh, Conan," she said, sweeping the young boy into an embrace. "It's not you- that made me cry,"

"Then I'm sorry from Jimmy-niichan,"

"Huh?"

"It's him, right? He's making you cry?"

"... Sort of," she said, glancing back out the window.

"I'm sure he's sorry," Conan said, speaking for his other self.

"I don't know, Conan, I just don't know," she said, returning her gaze to him.

"What happened with Jimmy?" Conan asked, wiping a tear that had fallen despite Rachel's attempt at holding it back.

"...Conan," she started, looking away again and wiping another tear, "When I first met you, you said girls are icky, and I told you that someday you'd think differently,"

Conan nodded. "It's happened, neechan... the thinking differently,"

"...Well, I've been thinking in that new way, Conan, for quite some time. And it was always toward this certain boy,"

"Jimmy, right?"

"Can't get anything past you," she laughed, then wiped her face. "Yes, Jimmy... And that feeling has grown very strongly ever since I started to feel it, and now it's so strong it might burst... do you know what I'm talking about?"

Conan nodded vigorously, forgetting that he was only supposed to be a grade-schooler and not have these emotions yet.

"I thought you might," she said fondly, "You always know what I'm talking about... Well, no one really knows, but I think it's love,"

"Love, neechan?"

"Yes, Conan, love. Not the kind of love you have for a parent or a friend, this one's different," she paused. "Jimmy-niichan came to visit a few days ago, but you knew that,"

He nodded slowly.

"And while he was here, we were at the park, and Jimmy was acting strangely, like he wanted to tell me something. And then some people came and saw us there," she paused, "Now, these people like Jimmy, but not in the way I do, although they think they do-... that's confusing-"

"They think they love Jimmy, but they're wrong, because you know you love Jimmy, and the way you feel is different than the way they feel,"

"...Exactly. How did you know that?- Nevermind-. But then, these girls started to chase us, because that's how..."

"Obsessed?"

"Obsessed, good word... how obsessed with Jimmy they are," she said. "And so we ran away, as any person would with a mob chasing you,"

Conan giggled, as did Rachel.

"Well, after about an hour we were getting tired, but the mob was still chasing us- now this is where I get confused- Jimmy shouted something to me a few times, but I couldn't hear him. Then, all of a sudden, he turned around, told me he loved me, and kissed me. This stopped the mob short. But then, he turned around and ran, saying he had to leave again, and left me standing there!"

"What's so confusing?" Conan asked, "Jimmy said he loved you, shouldn't you be happy?"

"Yes Conan, but- I'll never know if it was really a confession, or whether it was just to stop that horde of fangirls. And I'll also never know if the feeling he feels is really the same one I feel, and we can both call it love,"

_'But it is, Rach, it is,_" Jimmy prodded in his mind. "I think it is," Conan said, comforting the crying teen.

"Thank you, Conan, but I just don't know," she said. "There's so many questions. If he loves me, why didn't he wait for me to tell him I loved him? Maybe because he was using it as a distraction and didn't really want me to confess I returned the feeling because that would make 'us' awkward. And if he loves me, why did he have to leave again?... Do you see my problem?"

Conan nodded solemnly, cursing himself for making her feel this way.

"Not to mention I don't know if I'll ever see him again. He never tells me where he's leaving to, and doesn't leave a number, and-" she stopped short. "There's too many possible questions and answers, Conan. Im just... confused," she said, then smiled, "But enough about that! You should be in bed! You have school tomorrow!"

Conan could tell she was smiling falsely, but smiled back up at her anyway, and went along with what she was saying.

"Okay, Rachel!" he said happily, and left the room. But he paused before shutting the door, leaving it open a little and peering inside.

Rachel opened a drawer and pulled out a picture. It was of her and _him_. He remembered the day vividly, but he hadn't know someone had taken a picture.

* * *

_It was the day Richard and Eva announced their split up. Eva took Rachel to her temporary apartment and got her settled, but that night, Rachel snuck out. At midnight, Vivian Kudo revieced a call from a desperate Eva Kaden, trying to find her daughter and see if she was at the Kudo's. Vivian didn't know, but Jimmy had been awake at the time of the call, hearing every word. Immediately, Jimmy put on his raincoat and set out to find Rachel, in his pajamas. He had a pretty good idea where she'd be._

_The rock cave was a land mass that Jimmy and Rachel had discovered together. Far into the woods, the place served as a perfect hideout. This was where Jimmy found her, amidst the drizzle._

_"Go away," she'd said._

_"Rach-"_

_"I said go!" she shouted at him._

_"Rach!" Jimmy fired back, making the terrified Rachel back into a corner. "Rach," he said softer, coming over to her and giving her a hug. "It's not the end of the world,"_

_"It's the end of mine!" she shot back, hugging him fiercely._

_"Your parents split up. You'll have two places to live, big deal? No. They just need to sort out their problems, Rach. I'll bet they'll even get back together soon," he said._

_"Really?" Rachel looked up at him with her tearstained face._

_"Yeah," he said. "Come on, I'll take you home,"_

_Unfortunately, that's when it started to downpour._

_"Or not," Jimmy finished, searching the ground of the cave._

_"Jimmy?" she asked, apparently forgetting her earlier troubles, "What are you doing?"_

_"There we go!" Jimmy said as he blew on the little flame he'd made, increasing it's size. "Come on," he said to Rachel, giving her his raincoat. "If we're gonna stay here, it may as well be warm,"_

_The rain stopped about an hour later, although Rachel had fallen asleep during that time. Jimmy immediately picked her up, and brought her back to her mother's apartment, sneaking inside by using a creditcard to unlock the door._

_"Jimmy?" a very sleepy Rachel said, "Stay with me tonight, please?" she said, a blush rising to his face, "I can't do this alone,"_

_She didn't have to ask. He'd have fallen asleep on her bed anyway, which is where Eva and Vivian found them the next morning, covered in dirt. However, they apparently took a picture.

* * *

_

'_I'm so sorry, Rach,_' Jimmy thought, as Rachel put down the picture.

* * *

TBC!

* * *

YAYNESS! I thought I'd add in that little flashback, I couldn't help it! It just came to me!

Oh, I hope I didn't do Kazuha too OOC. I've never seen an episode with her in it, I've only read fanfiction, so I hope that went well.

SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE!

**REVIEW PLEASE!**

Next Chapter: Rachel recieves a gift, and Conan finds a hideout.

animebookworm


	4. Chapter 4

And the next chapter of TBoK. I'm glad everyone liked the last chapter-- and that I didn't mess up too badly on Kazuha.

THANKS FOR REVIEWING!

and

REVIEW AGAIN PLEASE!

**Disclaimer:** Standard

Onto the chapter!

* * *

"Haibara?" Conan asked the next day, having just reached Dr. Agasa's house.

"Kudo," she acknowledged, her eyes not leaving the computer monitor.

"What's the good word?" Conan asked.

**Chapter 4**

"The source of all of the activity seems to be around one location. That's where you'll find the hideout I'd bet. According to this map, it's a abandoned warehouse in the shopping district,"

"The shopping district," Conan said. "Aw, man! It's too far to walk, and the doc won't give me a ride. And now it's too late to use my skateboard. I'll have to go tomorrow morning, but I'll need an excuse..."

"Something will come to you, I'm sure," Ai said. "It always does,"

"Okay then, which warehouse?" Conan asked, coming right behind Ai to the computer.

"Actually, it's one of the Sebastian's old warehouses," Haibara said, clicking on a page that showed a blinking red dot, indicating the tracker's position.

"Serena's father's company?"

"Yep. It's located at 34 Suzuki Place. Good luck with it, Kudo,"

"See ya, Haibara," Conan said, leaving.

* * *

Rachel had invited Serena and Kazuha over while Conan was out and her dad was at the police station. The teen was currently making dinner for the three of them.

"I love your sushi, Rachel!" Kazuha greeted, coming into the kitchen where Rachel was preparing just that dish.

"Thanks, Kazuha!" Rachel said.

"Maybe if I cooked, Harley and I wouldn't fight as often,"

"Maybe," said Serena, walking in. "After all, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach,"

"I highly doubt that your cooking has anything to do with yours and Harley's fights," Rachel said, throwing Serena a look.

A knock on the door interrupted them.

"I'll get it, Rach. Don't bother stopping," Kazuha said, leaving the kitchen and heading for the front door.

"Hello? Moore Detective-" she cut off upon seeing that there was no one there. "Uh, hello? Helloooooo?" she searched the hall once more. "Hmm," she said, about to close the door, but stopped when she spotted the slim package at the foot of the door.

Picking it up, the thing inside seemed to be floppy, and a letter fell off the package.

"Hey, Rach!" Kazuha called. "You got a package!"

"If it's for my dad, leave it on the desk!" she called from the kitchen.

"No I meant _you_ got a package,"

All sounds from the kitchen stopped.

"Me?" she called, completely unsure of what anyone would send her.

"Yes, you!" Kazuha shouted back, bringing the package into the kitchen. "And it came with a mysterious letter too. I wonder if the Karate Queen has a secret admirer.

"Stop it, Kazuha," Rachel said.

"Totally!" Serena agreed with Kazuha. These two spent the next few moments both jumping up and down, and talking excitedly about the person Rachel's secret crush might be.

"What's this?" Rachel asked, flipping the letter over. Opening it, she found a very small note.

---

_To: Rachel_

_I know my son better than anyone. Here is an advanced copy of the story in which Raya discovers Conan is actually Jimmy._

_Booker Kudo_

---

"No. He can't mean that Conan is-"

"No!" Kazyha shouted at Serena, breaking Rachel's concentration. "It wouldn't be him!"

"Come on! You can't see Jimmy sending Rachel a love package!" Serena fired back.

"Guys! It's not from Jimmy! It's from Booker Kudo," Rachel said, earnig their attention.

"Jimmy's dad?" Serena asked.

"But what would he send you a package for?" Kazuha challenged.

"Actually, he told me in the letter that it's a manuscript of one of the books in his new series,"

"The new popular one?" Kazuha asked.

"Please tell me it's not that one you've been reading. That _children's_ book?"

"Well, yes actually,"

"Come on, Serena!" Kazuha said. "Not all children's books are stupid! Take that Harry Potter one for example!"

"Yeah, Serena!" Rachel agreed.

"Fine! You two go and _read_ your little _children's_ books. See what I care!"

"Fine," Rachel said. "But you won't get dinner,"

"What! Rach! No fair!"

* * *

_"Raya!" he shouted, reaching out a hand toward the desperate teen. As he came over to her. He pulled at her ropes and chains._

_Raya put up a struggle, trying to get away from the bonds that held her tightly. She had to save this little boy. He had become like a brother to her. Said boy came to her and removed the bandana over her mouth._

_"Conan!" she shouted at him. "You have to leave!"_

_"No!" he shouted back._

_"No use yelling," a man in black with long blonde hair came around the corner. "She's not leaving. Those bonds won't, and never will, break,"_

_"You wouldn't be able to release her even if you had a chainsaw," another man said, revealing himself behind a pillar of the abandoned warehouse._

_"But that doesn't mean you won't try, eh, detective?"_

_The boy Conan immediately was on guard. They knew who he was. They were from the organization that turned him into this helpless child so long ago. But- Rachel!_

_'If they tell her,...' Conan thought, letting the rest of the thought drift._

_To tell the truth, he didn't know what they may do to him- or to her. They had him in their grasp. His only option now was to sacrifice himself. He had to. He couldn't see Raya hurt. Not after all of the pain he'd caused her himself._

_"Alright, what do you want?" Conan asked, straightening and looking at the ground. The glare from his glasses covered his eyes and the emotion they held._

_"C-C-Conan?" Raya asked the boy. His voice had changed. He was no longer the same little boy._

_"I'm sorry, Raya," he said, and pointed his watch at her._

_Seconds later, the only girl he'd ever loved was slumped on the floor, asleep by tranquilizer dart that he had fired from his watch._

_"Well, little boy, I didn't think you'd do that," the one with the hat asked._

_"But you're not really a little boy are you... Jimmy Kuzishi!" the one with the long blonde hair called._

_"What do you want?" Conan sighed, his act was up._

_"The same thing we've always wanted, Jimmy Kuzishi..._

_...Your life,"_

"Rachel?" a voice asked from the doorway.

Rachel gasped, looking up from the manuscript she had been reading to see the startled face of Kazuha Toyama.

"We've been calling you for, like, five minutes," Serena Sebastian, who Rachel now noticed was standing next to Kazuha, said very annoyed.

"I told you children's books can be very entertaining," Kazuha said, looking at Serena out of the corner of her eye.

"Yeah, well-"

"Stop it you two!" Rachel said, very annoyed at their bickering.

"Jeez," Kazuha said under her breath.

"Grumpy much?" Serena whispered back.

"Look," Rachel started again, hearing their comments. "This book... It's very different from other books. It was written by about Jimmy by his own dad, and I think that should count for something. Maybe the book has some truth in it!"

"Rachel," Serena said. "It is physically impossible for a seventeen year old guy to turn into a seven year old kid," Serena said, with a healthy dose of reality.

There was a pause.

"But- what if it wasn't?" Rachel asked, not really expecting an answer.

"Excuse me?" Kazuha asked.

"You're out of your mind!" Serena shouted.

"What if- there was an actual drug that would do that- and Conan really is Jimmy,"

"Impossible!" Kazuha shouted.

"I've suspected it, Kazuha!" Rachel shouted.

Serena and Kazuha quieted, deciding to hear Rachel out.

"...When I first met Conan, I thought he looked a lot like Jimmy, only younger. And- after the first few cases my father solved, I started to notice little mannerisms that they both share. You know, the walk, the soccer, that thing where he holds his chin when thinking. And then I noticed that every time my father got a breakthrough in one of his cases, it was because of something Conan said. Conan was leading the investigation the whole time! So then I confronted him about it..."

"...AND?" Serena and Kazuha shouted.

"And he denied it,"

"But-" Kazuha finally ventured, "If he really is Jimmy, why wouldn't he tell you?"

"Well in the book, he can't because there is a crime organization after him. They hink he's dead, but if news leaked out that he were alive, everyone he knows would be hurt. And in the book, he's in love with me, and would do anything to protect me from them..."

"So what do we do?" Serena asked.

"Well, Mr. Kudo sent me a manuscript in that package. The manuscript was for the day Raya, who is my counterpart, finds out that Conan is Jimmy. I was thinking... maybe we could give it a shot?"

"And how where we do that?" Kazuha asked.

"Well, it's a warehouse in here-"

"Leave it to me, girls! I have just the warehouse!" Serena said confidently.

* * *

"Ngggggg," Conan moaned as he woke up. He was tired. Rachel had invited Serena and Kazuha to sleep over the night before, and he was kept awake by them and their girly stuff.

He yawned and sat up. Today was the day he was going to go after the black organization. Perhaps he would take them down once and for all.

He dressed and washed up, leaving his brrom-closet room.

A note from Rachel on the table explained the quiet in the house.

---

_Morning, Conan!_

_Kazuha, Serena, and I had to go shopping this morning! Hope you don't mind. Dad's out on a case, so you'll be alone. There's some breakfast in the freezer. Pick up the mail at noon. Kazuha wants you to call Harley when you wake up._

_Rachel!_

---

_'Harley?_' Conan thought. _'Hey! Harley can give me a ride to the shopping district this morning!_' Conan journeyed to the freezer where, just like she'd said, Rachel had placed some breakfast that he could heat in the microwave.

'_What time is it?_' he thought, glancing up at the microwave. '_Two to noon! Dangit!_' he thought, dropping breakfast.

He ran to the wireless telephone.

_'Come on, pick up!_' he willed the thing.

"Doctor Agasa's resid-"

"Ai!"

"Conan?"

"Is the tracker currently at that warehouse?"

"Yes, why?"

Too late for an answer, he'd hung up.

Dailing again and starting to run to the mailbox downstairs, he reached a number he knew well.

"Hello? Kudo residence. I'm sorry, but the Kudo's aren't-"

"Harley!" Conan said, placing the key in the box and opening the door.

"Kudo?"

"Harley? I need a ride to the shopping district," he asked, picking up the solitary piece of paper that happened to be the mail. He closed the box again, locking it.

"Kudo! Is that all I am? Rides?"

Conan dropped the phone.

At the loud crash, Harley jumped.

"Kudo?... KUDO!"

---

_Hey kid._

_We've got your little girlfried._

_You wanna see her again?_

_Meet us at 34 Suzuki place._

_BO_

---

Conan numbly picked up the phone again.

"Harley?" he called, his voice shaky.

"Kudo? Jeez! You were scaring me there for a minute,"

"Harley, they've got Rachel,"

* * *

"Well this is working out splendidly!" Rachel greeted as the three girls stood in the abandoned warehouse of their chioce.

"Rach! It's noon. Conan should be recieving the letter any minute now," Kazuha stood, her hair hidden from view with a black hat. She sported glasses too, and a black overcoat.

"Good!" she said.

"We should tie you up soon," Serena said. She was wearing a long blonde wig with a hat, glasses, and overcoat.

"Remember, we have to act the parts!" Rachel reminded, allowing Kazuha to bind her hands.

"Mhm!" Serena nodded. "Just watch. We'll be so convincing, we could give the Phantom Thief a run for his money!"

* * *

"Gin?"

"Yep?"

"Looks like we've got company,"

* * *

TBC!

* * *

HAHAHA! I do love doing this.

**REVIEW PLEASE!**

**Next Chapter:** Rachel's plan with some unexpected twists!

animebookworm


	5. Chapter 5

And now the next chapter in The Book of Knowledge!

Thanks for all the great REVIEWS, guys.

**REVIEW MORE PLEASE!**

**Disclaimer:** Standard

Now onto the chappie!

* * *

"I wonder what's taking the twerp so long," Serena Sebastian, dressed all in black and wearing a long blonde wig, said to Kazuha Toyama.

Both happened to be hiding behind cement pillars in the first floor of one of Serena's father's company's old abandoned warehouses. (that's a mouthful). Both also happened not to want to be in this particular place at this particular time, but they had promised Rachel Moore, who was tied up and leaning against a wall, that they would accompany her on her expedition to find out if Conan Edogawa, the boy they'd known and loved for a long time, was actually Jimmy Kudo, the famous high-school detective that had apparently gone missing.

Both also knew that Rachel tended to be paranoid.

**Chapter 5**

Neither one thought that the little boy would actually turn out to be Jimmy Kudo.

This would just be a figment of a fictional book, a _children's_ book, that Booker Kudo, Jimmy's father, had written. The book was quite popular with both the American and Japanese public, and had taken off in other countries as well.

But, it was fictional.

Right?

"I know, he should be here by now," Kazuha replied to Serena's comment. She snuck a glance at the tied-up Rachel. She happened to look very uncomfortable in her bonds, but otherwise fine. She fixed her hat, making sure that the tiny camera got a good picture of everything.

"Well he would be, if he was really Jimmy. Nothing would stop him from getting to her," Serena said under her breath.

"Unless he didn't get the message,"

"Oh, he got the message alright," Serena said.

* * *

"Faster, Harley! Faster!" a little boy urged the driver of the motorcycle upon which he was currently riding.

"Shut up, Kudo! I'm going as fast as the speed limit will allow!"

"So break the speed limit! I'll reimburse you for the amount of the ticket!"

"And what about gas!"

"You'd have to pay for that anyway!"

This little word battle had been going on for quite some time. The boy, Conan Edogawa, was right now frightened for the girl he loved. She apparently had been captured by a criminal organization that was responsible for his current appearance: a little boy.

"Kudo! What are you going to do when you get there!" Harley shouted back at the seventeen-year-old-turned-seven.

"I'm going to go in! If I don't come out in five minutes, come in after me!" Conan shouted over the roar of the engine.

They were approaching their destination: an old abandoned warehouse in the shopping district. It used to be owned by Sebastian Inc., a company owned by the father of one of his friends.

"Kudo! That plan is flawed in so many ways!" Harley Hartwell shouted at him. He cut the engine.

"Do you have a better one!" Conan challenged, hopping off the bike. He took a second to look at the looming building, and then started recklessly running toward it.

"Kudo!" Harley shouted, taking off his helmet. He sighed. '_That kid'll never learn,_' he thought, knowing very well he shouldn't really call Conan a kid. All he could do was watch Conan enter the building, and wait five minutes.

The inside of the building was made of concrete, held up by support beams that stretched high up to the cieling. Overall, it was a very well-built warehouse. Everything looked sturdy and workable, except for the cobwebs covering the surfaces.

_'No one's really been in here for a while,_' the teen mind of the detective thought. '_There's dust almost everywhere and I'm sure some of the equipment rusted,_' Pulling out a flashlight, he continued furthur.

"Here he comes!" an excited Kazuha whispered hurriedly to Serena Sebastian. Serena cleared her throat. They had to sound like men.

"Rachel!" Conan shouted boyishly, his flashlight finally falling on the tied girl.

Rachel played her part, her eyes widened and she struggled against her bonds, making sounds against the cloth gagging her mouth.

Conan rushed over to her, desperately pulling at the ropes and chains.

Rachel felt a rush of sympathy. If the kid really wasn't Jimmy, she'd really have to make up for putting him through all this trouble and worry. Wiping the emotion off her fact, she shouted at Conan when he removed her gag.

"Conan! You have to leave!" she took the quote straight from the book.

"No!" he shouted. "Listen, Rachel. I'm going to get you out of here, no matter what,"

The look in the boy's eyes almost made her call the bluff right then. But she held fast.

Conan tugged at the ropes again. '_C'mon! Break!_' he willed them. '_If you don't, Rachel could die!_'

"No use tugging," came a masculine voice from behind him. Conan turned to see a man with long blonde hair.

"Gin," Conan hissed.

Behind him, Rachel looked surprised, but it went unnoticed by the kid detective.

"She's not leaving. Those bonds won't, and never will, break," he continued.

"You wouldn't be able to release her even if you had a chainsaw," another said, coming around another pillar.

"Vodka," Conan hissed again, turning to the man.

"But that doesn't mean you won't try, eh, detective?" Gin asked slyly.

Conan turned back to Rachel, hoplessly tugging at those ropes. '_They know I'm me!_' he thought. '_I've got to get Rachel out of here! Even if I can't save myself I've got to save her!_' Conan froze. '_But what if they tell her?_' his thoughts drifted as he returned to tugging.

The action proved fruitless. His only option was surrender. He couldn't risk Rachel's life. Not to them, the ones who had destroyed his own.

"Alright," he said, ceasing to tug. "What do you want?" he straightened and looked toward the ground. The glare on his glasses covered his eyes and momentarily blinded the two 'men'.

"Conan?" Rachel asked, definately surprised. Although she was sure that he was Jimmy, she still hadn't expected him to say the line from the book word-for-word.

"I'm sorry, Rachel," he said, his hand actually coming upward. He flicked a button on the watch and a target sprang up.

Rachel shouted in surprise now. Her shout released as she slumped down to the ground.

Behind their masks, Kazuha and Serena were both terrified. Who was this kid?

"W-w-well, little boy, I didn't think you'd do that," Kazuha said, following the next line of the book.

Serena, catching on, quickly said, "But you're not really a little boy are you... Jimmy Kudo!"

Conan sighed. "What do you want?"

Kazuha and Serena gasped in surprise.

"Y-y-you really are Kudo!" Kazuha whispered horrified.

"Kudo!" a shout from the doorway resounded.

"Harley!" Conan shouted, apparently slightly relieved.

"Harley?" Kazuha asked, not heard by anyone other than Serena.

"I took a minute off you time limit, but I figured I could once I heard Rachel shout!" he said, finally reaching the seven-year-old.

"Thanks, but you gotta get Rachel out of here!"

"Whaa?"

"No time to explain! Just get her out of here!"

"What about you?" Harley questioned.

"Don't care about me!" Conan shouted, pushing the detective toward the teen. "Grab her. Run. Don't look back, no matter what. Don't let her leave your sight. You should probably go get Kazuha, too. Leave for someplace safe,"

Harley ran to Rachel, slinging her over his shoulder. He gave one last look at the boy, and then ran back off down the dark hallway.

Conan turned back to Gin and Vodka. The two had strange looks on their faces, looks that Conan couldn't place. But it didn't matter.

"What do you want from me?" he seethed. "Isn't it enough that you took my body! Do you have to go around and take the people I care about too?"

Kazuha and Serena were at a loss for words.

But Conan was on a roll.

"What would you have done with her? Killed her? An innocent girl? She didn't do anything! Where's the justice in that?"

Kazuha and Serena took a step back.

"Or would you have robbed her of her body too? Using that obnoxious APTX-4869! Where is the pill, huh?"

Kazuha and Serena both looked around for a place to run to.

"Is there even an antidote?"

They froze. Conan's voice had changed. It was more filled with sorrow than with anger.

"Am I stuck in the body you gave me, forever? Longing for the body you took away? So many questions. Are you going to try to kill me again? Will you go after Rachel again? Because if you are you'd better kill me. I'd die before you laid a harmful finger on her. She's my life. And she's waiting for me to come back. Sure I've taken a temp. antidote, but it only lets me be me for a few hours. I keep promising her I'll come back for good, but... I can never actually know if I ever will..."

"Oh, Conan!" Kazuha couldn't help but shout. "That's horrible!"

Serena elbowed her, and looked apprehensively at the boy.

Conan was on high alert. Who were these people? They obviously weren't Gina and Vodka. He'd figured that out a while ago. But he had to keep playing just in case they were from the BO. But now it looks like...

"Kazuha?" he asked, horrified. He stepped back, figuring he'd run.

Vodka started, and then shrugged. She took off the hat and overcoat, tossing them aside.

"And who are you?" '_Please don't be Serena. Please don't be Serena,_'

Serena took off her het, overcoat, and wig.

"Oh, Gods, no! Serena?"

"You got it, twerp!" she said, holding up two fingers.

"Oh, no. Please, no. Please don't let this be real," Conan muttered this phrase over and over to himself.

"What's the matter, Conan? Something wrong?" Kazuha asked.

"Yes, Kazuha! Something is very very wrong! I just told you the biggest secret ever! And now you've put yourself in danger!"

"What do you, like, mean?" Serena asked.

"The real Black Organization! They're here!"

"WHAT!" both Kazuha and Serena shouted.

"And now that you know my secret, you're all in terrible danger! There's no telling what the BO will do to you!"

"Then let's get out of here," Kazuha suggested. Conan nodded, starting to sprint toward the door.

They left the warehouse, unaware of the eyes following them.

* * *

_'Jeez, Neechan! When did you get so hard to carry!_' Harley thought, while leaving the warehouse. He pushed her onto his bike, thankful for the weight leaving his shoulders.

He tried the ignition.

It started.

"What?" Harley said, turning the ignition again.

"What's the matter?" Harley asked, not expecting an answer.

"Well, the problem would be the empty tank of gas, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah, thanks!" Harley said. "Wait!"

He flipped around quickly, in time to see a fist collide with his face.

* * *

"Well, Gin. I'd say this is a good load for the day,"

"I'd agree, Vodka. Not one of those teens will know what hit them,"

They paused, dropping their loads.

"What's this?" Gin asked.

"Looks like a camera, Gin," Vodka answered

"But why is it on a hat?"

* * *

TBC!

* * *

YAYNESS!

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**Next Chapter:** Chaos

animebookworm44


	6. Chapter 6

And the next chappie in TBoK! YAY!

I decided to put in the Detective Boys.

YAY!

THANKS 4 THE REVIEWS!

and

REVIEW AGAIN PLEASE!

**Disclaimer:** Standard

Onto the chapter!

* * *

A boy groaned in the dimmly litted shadows of the small room. The room housed two people: one boy and one girl. The girl was asleep on her side, bound and gagged with ropes and chains. The boy stirred and his eyes opened.

"Nggggg," he groaned aloud, making an effort to sit up. He found this difficult because of the restriants that he just now realised were on him. '_What the heck? Where am I?_' he asked himself.

**Chapter 6**

Looking to his right, he discovered the girl. He quickly looked to see if she was harmed at all. Kudo would kill him if she was.

Immediately discovering his mistake, he blushed and turned away.

_'Oi, Kudo. Forgive me for looking up your girlfriend's skirt,_'

Quickly, he decided that Rachel's dignity had probably been breached anyway, and he turned back to the girl, hoping she was alright. A small window on the other side of the room let a slight light in. Harley figured that, with the position of the sun, he hadn't been knocked out for too long, and that Rachel would be waking up from Kudo's tranquilizer dart anytime soon.

To his satisfaction, Rachel began to stir beside him.

Her eyes opened in alarm, and she struggled against the chains and ropes that surrounded her body. She looked desperately around the room, finally spotting Harley who was bound and gagged also. Her struggles ceased as she pulled herself up to a sitting position beside him.

Her eyes questioned him, but he couldn't answer anything.

"Ah! I see the two prisoners are awake," a silky voice said, coming from the hall.

"Hm!" his companion, a female, said. "Maybe we should introduce ourselves!"

The man opened the door. He was tall with a broad-shouldered suit. Brown hair could be seen beneath the dark hat.

"Well, snotty detectives, welcome to the stronghold of the syndicate. My name's Whiskey, and this is Rum,"

"Oh! He's cute!" Rum said, indicating Harley. She was a blonde with no hat. Harley jumped back at her sudden outburst. "Did they give us permission to play woth them yet, Whiskey?"

"No, Rum. But I daresay I'll enjoy it when they do," he said, scanning Rachel up and down. Rachel felt as if she were going through an X-ray, and she shivered at the eyes on her.

"Well, enjoy your stay until we get back!" Rum said, taking off Harley's gag. She kissed him once and then went to remove Rachel's gag.

Harley, who was moved to stunned silence after her action, didn't say a word until after they left and Rachel had spoken.

"Er- Harley? What did they mean by 'play'?"

"They coulda meant anything, Rach,"

Rachel gulped, but continued on. "And who are they? What are we doing here? What happened to Kazuha and Serena?"

"Kazuha and Serena!" Harley shouted.

"Yes! They were those guys at the warehouse,"

"You mean you tricked us!"

"Not you! Just Conan!"

"But you don't get it, Rachel! There is a real Black Organization! Conan really is Jimmy! The Black Organization happened to be residing in the building that you chose for your little trick! He was scared out of his mind!"

Rachel took all of this in, and was moved to silence. She looked away from Harley.

"I-I'm sorry, Rach. Maybe I should start the tale at the beginning.

It all started at that day you and Kudo went to Tropical Land..."

* * *

Conan only exhaled the breath he was holding when they reached, and had gone into, his own house. Serena and Kazuha hadn't said anything on the way there, for they were still stunned at the sudden knowledge of his biggest secret.

Conan silently motioned for them to sit down on a couch.

Kazuha was the first to speak up. "What happened, Jimmy?" she asked, looking at the seven-year-old. "How did you get like this?"

"It was all because of the organization that you guys pretended to be," he started, sending a rack of guilt through both girls. He slowly took off his glasses, seeing as he didn't need them anymore, and let the girls look upon the face of a young Jimmy Kudo.

"I took Rachel to Tropical Land since she won the karate tournament. While we were there, a guy's head was cut off on the roller coaster. There were three suspects, the victim's girlfriend, two of the victim's friends, Rachel, and two guys in black suits. During the investigation, the guys seemed suspicious, but the actual murderer turned out to be one of the victim's friends. Later, though, I saw one of the guys in black and decided to follow him. Bad idea. They hit me on the head and force-fed me a poison that was supposed to kill me, but instead it shrunk me,"

Kazuha let out a horrified gasp. Serena glared at her for interrupting the story.

"And even later, after I had convinced Dr. Agasa next door that I was Jimmy and he had convinced me not to tell anyone, Rachel came looking for me. Dr. A, being the genius that he is, asked Rachel if I, his relative Conan, could stay with her. He told me that if I made Richard famous, I could get more leads on the two men. I was only too willing... That's it," Conan finished.

Kazuha and Serena tried to swallow this information. But then, a thought occurred to Kazuha.

"But, Harley knew you were you,"

"He's a detective. I wouldn't expect anything less. Besides him, Dr. Agasa, my parents, and another victim of the pill are the only ones that know who I am. That is, before you guys tricked me into revealing it,"

"Sorry about that, Jimmy," Kazuha said.

Serena was more reluctant to apologize, but she did grumble something that sounded like "sorry".

"Who's the guy who was the other victim?" Kazuha asked.

But before he could answer, the doorbell rang.

All three stiffened.

Conan hesitantly turned, and slowly made his way toward the door.

He took a deep breath.

And opened if.

"Heya, Conan!" he was greeted by the smiling face of Amy. Mitch, George, and Ai were behind her. "We saw lights on," she continued, "And we thought we'd see who was home,"

"Oh!" Conan said. "But you do know that Harley and his friend Kazuha are staying here now, right?"

"What! Did Jimmy Kduo move out!" George gasped.

"Ah, no. He just gave the keys to Harley in case he ever wanted to come down here and use the house!"

"Oh good!" Mitch said. "But he still isn't here! And we really wanted to see him and ask about his current cases!"

"Well, come in guys!" he said, making eye contact with Haibara.

"Hello, Miss Serena!" Mitch greeted her.

"Hi," she said back, a strange look on her face.

"Everyone," Conan adressed. "This is Kazuha Toyama. The girl who's staying with Harley,"

"Hello, Miss Kazuha!" Amy said. "It's nice to meet you!"

"Jeez, Conan," George whispered to the boy, although the whisper wasn't quite as soft as others. "How do you meet so many girls?"

"Hehe," Conan said, sweatdropping. "Just lucky, I guess,"

When George turned around, he was met with facefuls of glares from Ai, Kazuha, Amy, and Serena.

"What?" he asked, playing dumb.

"That wasn't nice, George," Amy said, turning her nose up.

"He. Sorry, Amy,"

"Right," Conan said, starting the conversation once again. "So, Kazuha, this is Amy, George, Mitch, and Ai,"

"And together we're the Junior Detective League!" Amy shouted enthuiastically.

Kazuha laughed.

"So Conan," Amy turned on him. "What are you doing here?"

Conan put up his hands and said, "Nothing!"

"You wouldn't be here because you need Harley's help with a case, right? And you didn't tell us, I'm shocked at you Conan Edogawa!"

"Of course not, Amy! I always tell you guys about my cases!" Conan lied.

"Right," Amy said sarcastically, clearly not believing him. She leaned toward him, looking into his eyes. "So," she said finally, "It's a missing persons case,"

"Wha!" Kazuha, Serena and Conan shouted, surprised at her guess.

"So, I'm right!" she said, as George and Mitch looked on in awe. "Now," she continued, "Who is/ are it/ they?"

She grabbed Conan's shoulders and pushed him against the wall, a look of deep concentration on her face as she looked into his eyes. Conan thought she wouldn't find anything, seeing as a look of pure shock still graced his features.

"So that's it, huh? Rachel's missing,"

They gasped.

"Beneath that look of shock, there's an emotion, one I've only seen you have for one person: Miss Moore," she said. "Plus," she pulled out a piece of paper. "This note saying that they had your girlfriend helped. My guess would be that Rachel was captured by those guys you followed in school. You got Harley in on the chase and he decided to help you rescue her. By the state of this room, it looks like he left in a hurry. But when you got there, the guys used decoys in case the plan went wrong. You kept them away while Harley tried to make his escape with Rachel. But they had planned for this and eventually caught both Harley and Rachel. Am I right?" she asked.

Conan smirked. Kazuha and Serena were even more shocked.

"You've been hanging around me too much, Amy," he said.

"He!" she laughed in triumph. "No one could hang around you too much, Conan!" she shouted, slinging her arms around his neck.

"The only thing you had wrong is that I don't know where Harley and Rachel are, or if they've been captured,"

Kazuha couldn't resist. "D'ya think they've been captured, Jimm- Conan?"

Ai tossed her a sharp glare.

"You can't deny the possibility, Kazuha,"

"The Junior Detective League will help!" Amy said, still not letting go of Conan.

"NIO!" came shouts from two teens and one teen-turned-boy.

Mitch, Amy, and George looked startled.

"We mean," Serena lied, "That -er- this is a mater for the police, and we're not going to try to be heroes. We'll send in a report and then see what happens,"

"But! But-!" Amy said.

"They're right, Amy," Conan said, turning in her arms to look at her. "This is one time I don't think we should get involved,"

"Conan?" she asked pleadingly. "We've done missing persons cases before!" she insisted.

"Amy is right," Mitch backed her up.

"And!" George spoke up, "You don't even know if they've really been kidnapped! They could be out on a date or something!"

"No way!" Conan and Kazuha shouted, blushing.

"Sheesh!" he said, crossing his arms and turning away.

"Please let us help, Conan! We won't be trouble!" she said.

Conan dropped his voice. "...I- I can't afford it,"

"What?" Amy asked.

"What if something happened!" he shouted. "How would I feel? How would I handle it? Those guys poisoned me- er- my parents! You don't know what they can do! And if they got their hands on you-" he tore off, letting the sentence drift.

It was at that moment that Kazuha and Serena fully understood the seriousness of their situation.

And if Rachel and Harley had been kidnapped...

* * *

"Okay, so you know what to do?" Harley asked.

"Yes, Harley, for the umpteenth time!" Rachel replied, completely ready.

Rachel had taken the news of Conan surprisingly well. Harley was surprised himself to find out that she's suspected it all along, and that's why she, Kazuha and Serena pulled that stunt in the warehouse.

During the time they were left alone, they even hatched a plan.

Rachel might feel extremely gross afterward, but it was a plan.

"Hey, gorgeous!" the same silky voice from the one named Whiskey, called to Rachel.

Rachel shivered, but put on a brave front to execute the plan.

"Well, I'm back to check on you," he said. Harley rolled his eyes.

"Oh good," she said. "I was beginning to think I wouldn't get to play after all,"

"...Excuse me?" he asked, sounding surprised.

"Well you said that you'd come back when your boss gave you permission to play with us. When you didn't come back for a while, I assumed I'd never get to play with you,"

"Is that so?" he asked, entering the cell and going over to Rachel.

"Yes! Why wouldn't I want to play?" she asked, feeling his eyes upon placed they shouldn't be.

"Well, the games we play aren't usual games," he said, running a finger along her chin.

"I wouldn't expect anything less," she replied, seductively.

He smiled, showing off his perfect set of teeth.

"Unfortunately," he continued, dropping his hand. "We don't have that authorization yet,"

"What?" she asked, pretending to be hurt."But-"

"Sorry, gorgeous," he said, standing back up.

She leaned forward, giving him a decent view down her shirt. "But I was so looking forward to it! I mean, with a handsome man like you and all,"

"Well, I am pretty good looking. And you're not so bad yourself," he said, seeming to forget there was another person in the room. This person happened to be prectically barfing.

"Couldn't you break the rules for once?" she asked, leaning back, but separating her knees.

He looked longingly at her, and seemed to consider it, but turned away. "I oculdn't-"

"Please?" she asked, separating them furthur.

Harley watched awestruck.

"Maybe just this once," he said, kneeling down and placing a hand on her thigh, inching up her skirt as his hand moved furthur up.

"Wait!" she said, just before he got to her area. She closed her knees again, and struggled. "I'm sorry!" she said, seemingly convinceable. "But these ropes! I just can't get comfortable enough in them!"

"Well, comfort can be arranged," he said, taking out a pocket knife and cutting the ropes on her feet, immediately separating her legs. He didn't hesitate to do the ones on her hands either, thinking of the fun that was in store.

"There," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pushing him down. She stratled him. "Is that better for you?" she asked his opinion.

"Oh, definately," he said, placing his hands once again on her thighs, and inching the skirt up once again.

She let him get one good view of her panties before she karate-chopped his neck and knocked him out.

"Jees, Rach!" Harley complained, after Rachel had removed his ropes with Whiskey's pocket knife. "Why the heck did you have to take so long! Kudo's gonna kill me if he ever finds out!"

"Hey!" she said. "I got it done didn't I? And we'll just have to make sure he never finds out," Rachel said, removing the guy's keys from his pocket. "And besides, _someone_ was watching as if it were a movie,"

Harley blushed and put a hand behind his neck.

"Well, I can't deny that you _got it_, girl," he whispered to himself.

"What was that?" Rachel asked, having heard the comment and was blushing furiously.

"Nothing!" Harley insisted, taking the keys from her hand and going to unlock the cell door.

* * *

TBC!

* * *

Ha! I thought that last part was funny, didn't you guys.

CHECK OUT THE QUESTIONS FOR READERS ON MY AUTHOR'S PAGE

**REVIEW PLEASE**

**Next Chapter:** Chases and deductions

animebookworm


	7. Chapter 7

Next chappie of TBoK! YAY!

**THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS!**

BUT YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT!

COME ON PEOPLE! I EXPECT BETTER THIS CHAPPIE!

**Disclaimer:** Standard

ahem... onto the fic!

* * *

Two teens quietly slipped along a deserted hallway. Both carried some ropes and chains in their arms.

Coming upon a corner, the one in front quickly snuck a look around the concrete wall. Deciding that there was no one of danger around the corner, this person motioned for her partner to follow, and the started down the next hallway.

**Chapter 7**

_'You'd think they'd have better security in this place,_' Harley Hartwell thought as he sped quietly down the hallway behind Rachel. _'From what Kudo's told me, I would have thought that they'd have weapons too,... Oh, man! What do we do if that happens?_' So lost in his thoughts, Harley failed to notice the metal bar in front of him.

**CLANG**

"SHHHH!" Rachel urged. They looked around hurriedly for anyone that might have heard them. She sighed and turned dangerously around to Harley. "You will not do that again," she stated simply, but dangerously.

"Yes ma'am," Harley replied, saluting her.

'_Jeez!_' he thought, '_I dunno whether to feel sorry for Kudo, because he's got this drill seargeant as a girl, or whether to envy him, because she's got one of the finest-_' he stopped himself short. '_Stupid, stupid Hartwell. You do not think these things! Especially not about other people's girls. And especially not when that guy happens to be Jimmy Kudo, and that girl happens to be Rachel Moore: undeniable Master of Karate and Seduction,_'

They came upon an intersection in the hallway. Rachel peeked around the left corner, finding one guard. Male.

"Well, not going that way," Harley said.

"Actually, that's exactly where we're going," Rachel said.

"What?"

"Think about it, _detective_, if there are more guards, then there ought to be something valuable, right?"

"-Like the aptoxin," Harley finished, catching on, his face lighting up in revelation. "I swear, Rach! You spend too much time with Kudo,"

"Yeah, well I haven't seen much of him lately, or have you forgotten he was turned into a seven-year-old?"

"Oh,...right," Harley said, sounding stupid. Rachel smirked. "But!" Harley countered, trying to win his dignity back, "How are we gonna get past him?"

"The same way we got past the other guy," she said, rounding the corner and walking steadily toward the guy.

"Rachel! No!" Harley hissed, peering around the corner at her retreating form. Suddenly realising what he was doing, he rapidly turned back into the hallway that they had just come from. '_That's it! My death at the hands of Kudo was just sealed! Oh well. But if I have to die, I may at least enjoy the show,_' He peered his head back around the corner.

"Hi there," Rachel said, and pushed the guy up against the wall, starting to undo the top buttons on his black shirt.

"Er-" he said. "Hello there, missy," he said, letting her continue.

"Watcha doing?" she asked innocently, moving to the buttons in the middle of his shirt. She placed her cool hands on his toned, bare, chest.

"He," he laughed slightly, "I'm guarding something," he said proudly, trying to impress her.

"Really?" she asked, curiously. Then she played flattery, "Like what? It must be something important to have a big, strong man like you around to protect it,"

"Well, it's really not that important," he said sheepishly. Rachel ran her hands up and down his chest.

"I bet it is!" She replied "What is it?"

"Well, it's not really an it, it's a who," he said, starting to heat up.

"Really? You're a bodyguard? Who's the lucky girl?"

"Girl? Oh no, it's two guys. They're higher up in the ranks than me, though,"

_'What the heck is she doing?_' Harley thought, watching her work. He couldn't hear her with the distance.

"Really? What are their names?" she said, her hands moving to his belt.

"Er- Gin and Vodka," he groaned out, his hands going around her waist.

Seconds later, he was on the floor unconscious.

"Rachel!" Harley hissed, seething, and coming out from his place behind the corner. "What the heck were you thinking? Do you want me to die a slow and painful death?"

"I figured, if I'm gonna knock him out anyway, why not try to get some info out of him?" Rachel responded, tying the guy up and gagging him. "Come on, only Gin and Vodka are this way. But it's the next best thing to the aptoxin,... And remind me to take twenty cold showers when I get home,"

* * *

"Maybe Jimmy Kudo can help," Haibara said, breaking the silence.

Serena and Kazuha wondered how Conan would handle this. They expected him to deny the possibility flat-out. What he said next surprised them.

"Do you think he could?" he asked Ai, their eyes locked.

"I'm sure he could come for- two days," Ai said back, a slight smile showing on her face.

"Two days?" Conan asked, letting the excitement show too much. "... er- I dunno, Ai. Maybe he'll come if that girl Sherry comes with him?" he asked her.

"Sherry?" Everyone asked. "Who's Sherry?"

Ai looked surprised. "What?"

"Well, no one knows more about the Black Organization that she does," he said.

Serena, Kazuha, Mitch, George, and Amy all watched this odd little conversation with strange and confused looks on their faces.

"...I think she may be able to come,"

"Really?" Conan asked hopefully.

"Yeah," she replied.

"Good! Jr. Detective League! Attention!" he shouted.

Amy, George, and Mitch immediately saluted and stood rigidly in a line.

"Time to take on the Case of the Missing Persons! You three go to Dr. Agasa's house and get all the gadgets you can find! Haibara, get that surprise in Doc's lab and bring it back here!"

"Yes sir!" the three said.

"Sure," Ai commented.

Kazuha and Serena waited until everyone had left to begin firing questions.

"What did you mean Jimmy can come for two days?"

"Who is this Sherry girl?"

"You can't be here for two days! You're Conan, not Jimmy!"

"Girls! Please!" Conan said, quieting them. "Ai Haibara is the other person who was given the aptoxin. She used to work as a scientist for the Black Organization. They had her sister as blackmail. When she couldn't work for them anymore, she found out that they'd already killed her sister. They tied her up. She looked for a means of escape, and found one in the aptoxin. She had designed the drug, and it was meant to kill with no trace. But, it shrunk her instead and she got away. To this day, the BO scare her more than anything,"

"So, she designed that drug?" Serena asked. "She's the reason you're like this?"

"One of the reasons. But it's not like she did it out of her own free will. She's even been working on antidotes! That why I am able to return for periods at a time. She's trying to find a cure, but it's not working too well. She'll need a sample of the aptoxin to properly make one, So-"

"That's the other mission," Kazuha finished for him

The door opened.

"Here, Kudo," the scientist said, carrying two pills and some clothes. "It's a two-day pill. Exactly. We have forty-eight hours to find your girlfriend and the detective and then we're back to playing in sandboxes,"

"Right," he nodded at her, taking the pill. He motioned for the three girls to follow him upstairs. There, he took two glasses and filled them with water. He gave one to Haibara and showed her to a guest room. He then turned to Kazuha and Serena.

"Alright Kazuha, Serena, no matter what you hear, be it screams of bloody murder or cries of anguish: Do. Not. Come. Okay?"

"Er- okay," Serena and Kazuha answered, feeling slightly strange at being given orders by a little kid, and slightly worried at why he would be warning them about this.

"Ready, Haibara?" Conan asked her.

"Ready, Kudo," Ai turned and entered the guest room.

Conan went down the hall, followed by Serena and Kazuha to Jimmy's room.

"You guys can wait downstairs for us. Try to ignore our... outbursts,"

Serena and Kazuha sweatdropped nervously, but went downstairs.

Minutes later, the house was filled with mangled crys of pain and screams of torture. Kazuha and Serena could only listen to the cries, imagining the worst.

* * *

"Rach, there's another guard," Harley hissed. "But this time, it's Rum,"

"Rum? Hmmm. She seemed interested in you," Rachel said slyly.

"Oh no you don't! I'm not going in there! I'm saving myself for-"

"Kazuha?" Rachel inputted.

"Yeah! ...oops," Harley said.

"I knew it!" Rachel shouted. "But..."

"Oh, no! I don't like 'but' s," Harley said, turning his face to the heavens.

"You'll never see her again if you don't do this,"

"You never know! Kudo could have found out about your little trick and he's with Kazuha and Serena and they're trying to find us right now!"

"Oh yeah. They're going to bust in here, take down the whole organization, and rescue us! Just the three of them!"

"You don't seem to have much faith in Kudo, Neechan,"

"Not while he's a third-grader I don't," she stated.

"Really! He's been solving all of your father's cases! He's perfectly capable of doing things while in that body! Especially if he has one of those temporary antidote thingys,"

"But then he's not in that body, is he?" Rachel countered.

"I... guess not," Harley answered, losing faith in his tactic.

"Well then, that's Rachel-1, Harley-0," she said, then pushed him into the hallway.

Harley sighed, then did his best to sneak up on the female in black. '_Why me?_' he asked rhetorically.

"Hello, beautiful," he said, coming up behind Rum and whispering in her ear. Rum whipped around, pinning Harley against a wall.

"What?" she gasped. "How did you get out? Where's Whiskey?" she demanded.

"He's having his fun," Harley lied. "I figured it was only fair for you to get yours, so I came looking for you,"

"Oh, really?" Rum asked suspiciously. She wasn't one to be fooled as easily as Whiskey or the other guard.

_'Dang girls and their cunning,_' Harley cursed. He wasn't sure how to pull this off.

But it didn't matter. Rum was on the ground in a moment. Rachel was already bending to tie her up and gag her with some of the ropes. Harley sighed. '_Saved by the Rachel... again,_'

"See? That wasn't so hard," Rachel teased him. "I hardly think Kazuha will want you any less by doing that. Now, Jimmy on the other hand..." she trailed off, wondering what the guy would say to her after she got out.

"Let's go, Rach," Harley said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

* * *

The shouting ceased. Kazuha and Serena sat staring into space on a couch in the living room. At the abrupt stop, they were torn out of their daydreaming.

"D-d-do you think it's okay to go see them now?" Kazuha stuttered.

"I dunno," Serena answered. "That was some harsh screaming,"

"Do you think they're back? To their original bodies, I mean," she continued.

"We can only hope," Serena said. "We stand a much better chance of finding Rachel and Harley if they are. If they have been taken by the BO, for instance, it would be good to have all that knowledge to help us. Not to mention Kudo's got wicked ties with the police. If he comes in saying Rachel was kidnapped, they'd have to believe him,"

"But first- I wanna take a look at the crime scene," came a masculine voice from behind them.

Both girls whipped around to be greeted with the smirking face of Jimmy Kudo, dressed in his school uniform.

"Jimmy!" they both shouted, smiling.

"Kazuha, Serena, this is Sherry," he said, stepping aside to reveal a woman remarkably akin to the little girl Ai Haibara, wearing a tan skirt and a maroon shirt.

"Er- nice to meet you," Kazuha greeted, somewhat awkwardly.

"Conan!" came a shout from outside the house. "Conan! We've got the stuff you wanted!" Amy said, entering the house with a box too big for her. She placed it down and then took a gander around the room. "...Conan?"

Jimmy reeled. He didn't have a make-up story! He forgot!

"Hey Amy! Open the door!" came Mitch's shout from outside. Amy gladly opened the door, and in came George and Mitch, also carrying boxes that were too big.

"Where's Conan?" George asked, after looking at the room's occupants.

"He and Ai went on ahead," a tall woman who the Detective League didn't know, answered.

"Who are you?" George asked impolitely, earning him a glare from Mitch and an elbow from Amy.

"Sorry," she apologised, her tone still serious. "I'm Sherry, Jimmy's friend," she pointed.

"Hey! It's Jimmy!" Amy and Mitch shouted.

"Good to see you again. Conan said you'd be coming along," Jimmy said, playing along with Sherry's lie.

"If you'd let us!" Mitch said excitedly.

"I dunno," Jimmy said, apparently thinking about it. "It could be dangerous,"

"But you let Conan and Ai go!" Amy said impatiently.

"They're not going to be with us!" Jimmy assured. "They're going..."

"To the police station!" Serena quickly said. "They went to tell Inspector McGuire that Rachel and Harley are missing,"

"Oh...," Amy sighed dissappointedly, losing her argument.

At the look on her face, Jimmy cracked. "Alright," he said. "You can come to the warehouse. But if I tell you to go home, you have to go,"

"YAY!" The three children shouted. Jimmy smiled.

"So let's go," he said seriously, walking toward the door.

* * *

Another man slumped to the floor as Rachel impatiently zipped her skirt back up.

"Make that forty cold showers," she told Harley, who then rounded the corner.

So far, they had taken out Whiskey and three other guys, and Rum plus another girl.

"Shhhh," Harley urged, eyeing the lone door this hall contained.

They hadn't seen any other doors on their ventures, and this made Harley suspect that they were at their destination. He tip-toed over to the door, finding that it was a safety door, one that couldn't be opened without a key, and one that wouldn't break or melt. Made of a durable metalloid, this door provided maximum security.

This one, however, had a small window on top.

Rachel followed, peering through the window, her face touching Harley's.

_"W-w-well, little boy, I didn't think you'd do that,"_ came a familiar voice. Harley and Rachel gasped. Playing on a video monitor was a recording.

_"But you're not really a little boy are you... Jimmy Kudo!"_

_"What do you want?"_ said the little boy that the feed displayed.

Rachel gasped again. So this was what happened after he knocked her out?

_"Y-y-you really are Kudo!"_ Kazuha whispered, heard by the recorder which Rachel had forgotten she made Kazuha wear in her hat.

The feed stopped.

"I think that's enough," a man they recognised as Gin said.

"I agree," came a feminine voice. They assumed it came from the high-backed chair in the center of the room. "Well, now we know where that detective went off to,"

"We'll get him this time, boss, you'll see!" Vodka said.

'_Oh no!_' both Harley and Rachel thought. '_They know Conan is Jimmy!_'

"Hello there," came a voice from outside the room, right in Rachel's and Harley's ears.

Both reeled. They had been found.

The man quickly disabled their route of escape, and even succeeded in making both teens incapable of using any sort of method to escape. (a punch, for instance)

"I just followed the trail of bodies," he said. "Looks like you've had a busy afternoon, being bad,"

* * *

TBC!

* * *

HA! I'm wicked sorry for the late update. My computer's acting really slowly! And I'm sorry for the lack of action! Really I am!

**Next Chapter:** Contemplations and Realizations (which would make for another boring chapter... I'M SORRY!)

REVIEW PLEASE!

animebookworm


	8. Chapter 8

And now the next chapter of The Book of Knowledge!

I'm starting early.

HEY! I got a new idea for another mystery fic!

REVIEW PLEASE!

**Disclaimer:** Standard

Onto the fic!

* * *

"Hmmm," Jimmy said, leaning down over the gravel driveway.

Everyone had gone to the warehouse, following Jimmy's idea to see the scene of the crime.

But, as Amy had predicted, something didn't add up.

**Chapter 8**

"What is it Jimmy?" Serena asked, looking where he was. She didn't see anything of importance.

"It's gas," he said, referring to the wet spot on the ground.

"...So?" she asked, not seeing the importance in it.

"Gas tanks don't usually break, Miss Serena," Mitch informed. "Not only that but the gas isn't just around this area,"

"Jimmy!" Amy yelled. "I found something!"

Jimmy ran over to her. She happened to be in a dumpster next to the adjacent uilding.

"Amy! What are you doing in there!"

"I found a motorcycle in here!" she called.

"...What?"

Indeed she had found a motorcycle.

"Oh my god. That's Harley's bike," Kazuha gasped.

"The trail of gas leads to here," George said, indicating the ground.

"But the trail also extends over here," Mitch said. "Away from where Jimmy said Harley parked when they first arrived,"

"Why would there be gas over there too?" Jimmy thought aloud. "Unless..." he went back to the original spot.

"Got anything, Jimmy?" Serena asked curiously.

"It's just as I thought," he said. "Around the area where the bike was, the gas splattered. As if something heavy dropped into it,"

"Like a bike?" Kazuha asked.

"Or a person... Look, Kazuha. There are no traces of gas anywhere on the bike other than the gas tank. That means that it wasn't the bike that fell into the puddle. It had to have been something else. The BO wouldn't bother moving anything other than a person if it was dropped in there,"

"So your saying they have Harley?" Kazuha asked, worried.

"And Rachel was unconscious so..."

They all knew what he meant. Of they had Harley, they had to have Rachel.

"Look Kudo!" Sherry called, pointing to the building. "The other trail of gas goes in here! They could have dragged Harley or Rachel inside the building!"

Jimmy, Sherry, Kazuha, Serena and the rest all entered the building, following the ever-decreasing trail of gasoline.

"It stops here," Mitch said, as they neared the end of the trail. "Meaning that they either picked up their load, or left it here. And since it's not here then they must have taken Harley and Rachel somewhere else,"

"That's not the only thing that worries me," Jimmy said, glancing around. "You two said that you dropped your clothes here when Conan found you out. Where did you drop them?"

"Over ther-" Kazuha stopped abruptly when she found that there was nothing in the spot where she was pointing. "Serena?" she asked nervously. "We did drop them over there... right?"

"...Yeah, we did," Serena answered, just as nervous.

Jimmy walked over to the spot they were pointing at and knelt. Not finding anything imparticular, he turned to the girls again. "Did either of you have something in or on your clothing that may have been... valuable?"

"I don't know," Serena answered.

"I don't think so," Kazuha suppported. "Rachel just gave us the hats, glasses and over coats. And then she gave me... oh god,"

"What?" Jimmy asked earnestly. "She gave you what?"

"She gave me that... camera,"

"Oh no," Serena said, not liking where this was going.

"There was a camera! You mean you caught the whole ordeal on tape!" Jimmy shouted, more than anxious.

"Rachel wanted it. Just in case Conan knocked her out, which you did by the way," Kazuha said. "So that she would still be able to see you-" she cut off, realizing that she had an audience.

"Ummm," Amy ventured. "I'm lost,"

"Me too," Mitch agreed.

"What's going on?" George asked.

Jimmy put a hand to his forehead, realising that in just a few minutes, his whole alibi as Conan was unraveled. And now everyone was in serious danger. '_Wait! The kids! The BO doesn't know about them yet! There's still time to get them out!_'

"Amy, George, Mitch. You have to go,"

"But Jimmy-"

"Now!" he shouted, afraid of getting them into more danger than they were already in.

All three turned and fled at his shout.

"Jimmy, you didn't have to yell," Kazuha said.

"Yeah," Serena agreed. "You scared the little runts,"

"Yeah, well at least they may still have a chance of surviving," Jimmy replied to their statements, shutting them up. "They weren't caught on tape with a teen-turned-boy while he confessed right in front of two imposters whos names were clearly stated in the video stream,"

Kazuha and Serena both looked at the ground, somewhat ashamed.

"You'd better go too, Ai," Jimmy said, forgetting all formalities.

"Kudo, no matter what you say, I still know more than you about the BO. And I haven't been caught on tape either. They don't know I'm coming. And you enlisted my help even before you knew the danger. I'm not backing out now,"

"But they scare you to death, Ai,"

"Let's just say I feel guilty for yours and Rachel's predicament. And I'm trying to make things right,"

"So what now?" Kazuha asked, breaking the silence.

"We make a plan," Jimmy answered.

* * *

Rachel and Harley were roughly thrown into the same concrete room as they were held in last time. The body of Whiskey had been removed and both teens had a sinking feeling in their stomach.

_'We were this close to getting out of here!_' Harley thought, miserably. Now, most likely, security would be tightened and they'd stand no chance of escape. Ever. '_I'll never see Kudo... or Kazuha... again,_'

_'We gotta get outta here! We've just got to!_' Rachel thought dimly. '_I have to see Serena and Kazuha and my dad! And... Jimmy,even if he is a seven year old,_'

Rachel and Harley spent a few minutes in silence in the cramped space of the cell, each lost in their own thoughts.

"We almost made it," Harley said monotonously, staring into space.

"Yeah," Rachel agreed, just as out of it.

"Do you think they'll come looking for us?" Rachel asked.

"Ha! Will they look? Of course they'll look, Neechan!... They just won't find anything... They'll probably even bring the police and your dad into this... but I don't hold much hope," he finished depressingly.

"Oh... What do you think they'll do to us, Harley?"

"I don't know, Rach. Kudo said that they wouldn't hesitate to kill us, so that's probably what they intend on doing in the end. As for now, they'll probably try to get information out of us, see if we can tell them anything useful. Who knows what they'll do..."

This returned them to awkward silence.

* * *

The teens took turns checking the rooms of the warehouse. Not finding anything important, they slumped down in the front hall.

"We need to establish location," Jimmy said. "Where would they go?"

"Uh, Kudo," Sherry brought up. "If they haven't changed clothes, or even if they brought the clothes with them, then we still have a tracker on them,"

Jimmy's eyes lightened with realization. "Sherry, you're a genius," he said.

She blushed and said, "I know,"

Kazuha and Serena looked at her slyly.

"Let's get to Dr. Agasa's house!" Jimmy shouted.

Minutes later, they were back at the Doc's house.

Needless to say, Dr. Agasa was quite astonished at seeing them there.

He was even more astonished when Jimmy and Sherry whizzed by him to get to Ai's computer.

"Let's see," Sherry said, her fingers dancing along the keyboard at a mile a minute. "Here we go... the coordinates of the tracker point here," she said, pointing a finger at the screen where the blinking dot was...blinking.

"That's not even in Tokyo," Jimmy said. The dot was at the outer rings of the screen, indicating that it was almost twenty miles away, and that if the men went any furthur outward, they'd lose them.

Kazuha and Serena began pulling out maps from off the bookshelves.

"Can you tell if they're in transit?" Jimmy asked Sherry.

"From these readings," she said, pulling out a piece of paper from the printer, "These guys have been there a long time,"

"Good. So that's where we'll find them,"

"But-" Sherry said, always the realistic one, "They could have dumped their clothes in some alleyway if they found the tracker in them. We may be at a dead end,"

This disheartened everyone.

"Hey," Serena said, looking at her map. "The coordinates end here," she said, pointing to a crossection of a city.

"It's another warehouse," Kazuha said, looking at the map closely.

"This is Urawa," Jimmy said. "Serena, doesn't your dad-"

"Have a closed warehouse in Urawa? Yes," she finished for him.

"Erm- Serena? You don't think your dad-"

"No," Serena flat-out refused.

"You can't deny that it's suspicious," Jimmy said. "The BO hiding out in two of your dad's abandoned warehouses,"

"I don't think he has anything to do with this. My father is a respectable man. You can ask anyone,"

"Serena, your father isn't the most honest person in the world," Jimmy reminded her. "Hostile corporate takeovers _are_ part of his background, and you never know how many shady-"

"Stop it right there, Jimmy Kudo!" Serena shouted. "No more about my father," she stated in a tone that was not to be broken.

"Right," he said.

"So... what now?" Kazuha asked.

"Well," Jimmy said, thinking. Then his face lit up. "This could turn out to be a blessing, this being in your father 's building. He must have blueprints somewhere, right?"

Kazuha, Jimmy, and Sherry all smiled at Serena.

"What?" she asked, dumbly.

* * *

TBC!

* * *

I may get another one up later, I dunno. Kinda a short chappie anyway. I needed it to be.

**Next Chapter:** Plans and outcomes... the syndicates plans for Rachel

REVIEW PLEASE!

animebookworm44!


	9. Chapter 9

I give you:

THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE!

REVIEW!

**Disclaimer:** Standard

Onto the chapter!

* * *

"Hello, Charlotte!" Serena greeted the receptionist at her father's workplace.

"Serena! I haven't seen you in... forever!" the blonde woman greeted.

"I know! It's been too long!" she smiled. "Hey, Charlotte? My father asked me to come and get some documents for him,"

**Chapter 9**

"What do you need?"

"He wants all of the blueprints to the warehouse in Urawa,"

"Urawa? Didn't we close that warehouse?" she asked, looking at Serena suspiciously.

"Yes," Serena said. "But I think he wants them to reference from for the building of another warehouse!" she quickly made up.

"Really? Alright," she turned and stood. "If you'll follow me, there are quite a few,"

* * *

"There," Serena said, plopping the many stacks of heavy paper onto the desk in front of Sherry. "All of the blueprints to the Urawa warehouse where, supposedly, Rachel and Harley are being held captive,"

"Serena, you're awesome!" Kazuha praised her good work.

"This is a lot," Sherry commented, bending over and examining the top one, "And there seem to be only four floors,"

"Don't ask me," Serena said. "I'm not in charge of making the blueprints,"

"You can still use them, Sherry," Jimmy said, picking up the second one. "They just go into a lot of detail about each of the rooms. And the more we know, the better,"

"Allright. I'm going to need a portable computer equipped with the latest architectural program. You three can work on dividing the Doc's gadgets up between the three of you... that is- I assume that all three of you are going in?"

"Right," they all said simultaneously.

"Good. After you've split them up, work on finding inconspicuous outfits, prefferably ones that can't be seen in shadow. When invading enemy territory, shadow is your best friend. After I'm done analyzing the data, we meet back here to discuss a plan of attack, and I may have a few more gadgets for you,"

"Did I tell you you're a genious?" Jimmy asked.

"Only twice," Sherry said, allowing herself a small smile. "Now go," she ordered.

Jimmy, Kazuha, and Serena departed from the room and went back to Jimmy's house where they began to look through the boxes that Amy, George and Mitch had brought over.

"What's this?" Kazuha asked, holding up a pair of suspenders.

"They're Strechy Suspenders. They expand and contract with the touch of a button, meant to lift things that a small body may not be able to handle," Jimmy said. "You may have noticed Conan wear them a few times,"

"Now that you mention it..." Kazuha said, remembering.

Jimmy smiled half-heartedly at her.

"So are there other things you had on you that were gadget-y?" Serena asked, eyeing him.

"Well, you've seen me use the wristwatch. It's a Stun Gun. Shoots little darts with a mild sedative... and there's that bow tie-"

"The bow tie was a gadget?" Serena asked, looking up from her box. "I just thought it was a fashion-don't,"

"Very funny," Jimmy said, sifting through his box. "Actually, it's a voice modulator. To solve cases I'd shoot Richard with a dart, and then use the bow-tie to make it look like _he_ was solving the case,"

"I knew he couldn't have been that smart," Kazuha whispered.

"You're right," Jimmy said. "He couldn't solve a case if the murderer just came up and confessed!"

The girls laughed.

"Then there were the glasses-"

"You mean those dorky glasses were good for something!" Serena gasped.

"Hey!" Jimmy said, taking offense. "They weren't dorky! ... Okay, maybe a little. But the doc fixed them twice. Once with a tracking beakon, the other with a listening device. And there's the Detective League badge, which has both a tracker and a two-way radio in it. And the sneakers which sent electric pulses through my foot so that I could kick objects to protect myself,... as well as jump fences,"

"Well you're just a regular walking death-trap!" Kazuha joked.

"Hey!" Jimmy said, pulling out a skateboard from the box.

"What's that, Jimmy?" Kazuha asked.

"It's a solar-powered skateboard. We could use this," he placed it aside and began rummaging once again through his box.

"Uh, Jimmy? What is this?" Serena asked, holding up a box with what looked like strawberries and cream cheese.

"A fax machine," Jimmy answered simply, and continued rummaging.

Serena looked disgusted at the gadget, and tossed it over her shoulder.

* * *

Rachel and Harley sat miserable in the small cell. Their stomachs had officially emptied, and both were getting a little on the cranky side.

"What's taking them so long!" Harley shouted.

"For what? For Jimmy and Kazuha to rescue us, or for _them_ to feed us?" she asked, annoyed herself.

"Both!"

"How should I know?" Rachel replied.

"Grrrr," Harley growled.

But the sound of footsteps cut off their arguing.

Rachel and Harley both stared expectantly at the cell door, knowing that they were the only people down this hall.

"Hello, there, pesky prisoners," the man said. He was widely built with broad shoulders and tall height. His voice was gruff and sandy. "The boss decided to treat you well today, even after your attempt at freedom. If I didn't know better, I'd say she commends you for it,"

"She?" Harley asked, thinking that the leader of the BO would have been male.

"She." he stated simply. "And here's your food, noodle soup," he handed them both a soup-like substance, some water, and bread. "I'll see you both later,"

He left the cell, closing the door tightly behind him.

Rachel and Harley stared at the food for a few moments.

"Should we eat it?" Rachel asked the teen detective.

"Chances are not good. If we eat it, we run the risk of being poisoned. If we don't, we run the risk of starving. At least with poison the death is quicker,"

"So, we don't want to starve, so... we eat it?"

"Perhaps one of us should eat it, that way only one of us may die of poison," Harley suggested.

"And what would the other do after that person died? Die of starvation,"

"Like I said, chances aren't good," he turned to the soup, and tentatively picked it up. "But I prefer quick to long and painful,"

And with that, he sniffed the soup, and then brought it to his lips.

He put down the bowl and closed his eyes, awaiting the incoming doom.

A few moments later, he opened his eyes again.

"Nothing happened," he said in disbelief.

"I noticed," Rachel said, taking a sip from her own soup. She winced, "Definately not five-star, but it'll have to do,"

They continued eating the soup in silence.

* * *

"Back so soon?" Sherry sarcastically asked the three teens.

"Ha. Ha." Jimmy replied.

"Nevermind," she stated, and turned to type something on the laptop. "Here we are," she said, turning on the projector.

Upon the wall and image played. This image was a three-dimentional projection of their target: the warehouse.

"You," Kazuha turned to Sherry. "Did all that while we were at Kudo's?"

"I'm a genius," she reminded them. "Now, to some presents," she turned and opened a drawer, extracting three pieces of metal.

"Ooh!" Serena gawked, eyeing the pieces of jewlery.

"These are... bracelets," she said.

"Umm... duh?" Kazuha replied.

"Not those kind. These are... enhanced bracelets. The initial on them is a tracking device and projector," she pressed the one with the initial K.

A hologram of the warehouse appreared.

"I hacked into the warehouse's system. The electrical field will be active only when inside the building. The field will be able to tell you where each of your comrades are. Serena, you're pink. Jimmy, you're blue. Kazuha, you're purple. There will be blinking dots on the screen that tell you the respective positions of each member, based on color,"

The teens stared wide-eyed.

"Now, the charm next to the initial is a panic button. When it is hit, that person's color will turn red on the hologram, and make a slight beeping noise so the one wearing the bracelet will be able to tell that someone needs their help. Also built in is a communication device set up with a direct radio to me. I will monitor the mission with my computer on-site in a van. Any questions at all should be directed to me, whether it be about location or equipment failure,"

"Sherry, you're a-"

"Genius, I know," she finished. "Now then, this is where I believe you will find Rachel and Harley," a blinking yellow dot appeared on the hologram.

Kazuha started, "But that's the-"

"Second floor?"

"Yes," she finished. "Wouldn't they be kept on the bottom, completely underground?"

"Well, Kazuha, 1) the second floor does happen to be underground. And 2) it wouldn't do them any good if someone figured out where they kept prisoners. And I believe you just did so very easily,"

"...Oh," Kazuha replied, slightly confused.

"These bracelts are one-size. They will attach to you completely and you will not be able to get them off, unless they recieve a radio signal from my mobile lab. So, you won't be able to get it off until you come out alive,"

They nodded solemnly, somehow finding comfort in that last detail.

"Now then," Sherry began again. "Who's up for a ride to Urawa?"

* * *

Harley and Rachel finished their soups in record time. Eventually, the hunger had gotten to them, and they gave in to instinct, despite the taste of the food.

"That was... good," Rachel said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"I agree," Harley replied. "We really needed that,"

"Yeah," Rachel said, her eyes beginning to close. "We did... why am I getting so sleepy?"

"Rachel?" Harley asked, looking around at her. Suddenly, he was hit with a stream of tiredness. "Oh no," he said, slowly and sleepily. "They must have put a sedative inito-" he cut off, falling down on the floor fast asleep as the sedative took over his functions.

"Harley!" Rachel said worriedly, trying to keep herself awake.

A man stepped into the cell.

"What did you do?" Rachel demanded of him.

"We plan to use you when you wake up. Nighty-night," he waved at her.

Her eyes closed as she felt the strong arms of the man envelop her.

* * *

TBC

* * *

HAHA! Nearing the end!

**Next Chapter:** The plan in action!

REVIEW!I NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!

animebookworm44


	10. Chapter 10

And now...

THE NEXT CHAPTER!

I know you've been waiting for it!

Much more ACTION!

**Disclaimer:** Standard

Onto the chapter!

* * *

The car ride was dismally silent. Each person was avidly thinking about something.

For Jimmy, it was getting Rachel back... and Harley too... and the antidote...

For Kazuha, it was getting Harley back... and Rachel too...

For Serena, it was getting Rachel back. She had sooo much she needed to tell her! Like there was this cute guy at the mall last Saturday...

And for Sherry, it was how to make the drivers in front of her suddenly decide to let her pass them...

**Chapter 10** (WOOHOO! Double digits!)

The ride was infinately longer than each expected. The awating task was not putting them at ease at all. And there was always the question...

_What if we fail?...

* * *

_

Back in Tokyo, Inspector Maguire of the Tokyo police was sitting down to an interview with television reporter on the latest kidnapping case.

* * *

"This is it," Sherry said, pulling the car up in front of an old-looking building.

At the moment, the three teens in the car were feeling very sick to their stomachs.

"Are you gonna get out or not?" Sherry asked them.

They stared up at the building as it loomed over them, each getting out of the van that had been packed with the epuipment.

"Now remember, the panic button is for emergencies. Don't go pushing it if a rat runs over your foot,"

They nodded, each taking a deep breath.

Kazuha and Serena both started for the building, scouring for a way in. Jimmy turned to Ai.

"You should call Inspector Maguire," he told her. "We may need backup,"

Sherry nodded as Jimmy turned away.

Jimmy ran over to meet Kazuha and Serena, who were both ducking in the shadow of the building.

"What did you find?" Jimmy whispered to them.

"An air duct. It may take us to the floor that Rachel and Harley are on," Kazuha explained.

"Air ducts are not on the map, so we may have to split up to find the targets," Serena said. "I've always wanted to say that!" she squealed.

"About air ducts?" Kazuha questioned.

"No! The 'targets' part," Serena said, rolling her eyes.

"Whatever, just get the duct open!" Jimmy urged.

Kazuha pulled out a swiss army knife and began unscrewing the grate from the duct.

* * *

"...And I want to say that we never would have found them without the help of-" Inspector Meguire cut off as the phone in his office rang. "I'm sorry," he apologised to the reporter, Cynthia Strongarm. "I told the receptionist to take all my calls during this time, but I guess she didn't listen," he made a mental note to tell her off later.

"It's no problem. A policeman's work is never done. You can go answer it. I'll just converse with my cameraman," she smiled at Meguire.

He nodded, got up, and walked over to the phone.

"Hello, Tokyo police, Inspector Meguire speaking,"

"_Inspector? Hello, my name is Sherry. I'm calling for Jimmy Kudo,_"

"Jimmy Kudo? Oh, you won't find him here. I'd give you a telephone number, but he didn't leave one-"

"_No! I meant I'm calling_ for _Jimmy. As in, Jimmy told me to call,_"

"Oh,... well what can I do for you, Sherry?"

"_Kudo just wished me to inform you of a search and rescue he's undergoing now,_"

"Really? A search and rescue?" Meguire repeated.

This caught the attention of some nearby officers and the TV reporter with her cameraman. She silently told him to start rolling the camera. He complied.

"_Yes, it involves the kidnapping of one Rachel Moore and one Harley Hartwell,_"

"WHAT?" Meguire shouted into the reciever. "Rachel Moore as in Richard Moore's daughter, and Harley Hartwell as in Inspector Hartwell's son!"

"_So you know them?_"

"Of course I know them! But that's not the point! What has Jimmy-"

"_He's found that they've been taken by a secret crime organization, called the Black Organization. They took them to get back at Jimmy, who has some history with them. Jimmy has found there whereabouts and is currently attempting to rescue them with Kazuha Toyama and Serena Sebastian. He has asked me to request backup,_"

"Of course, we'll do what we can. I'll need the address,"

"_It's an abandoned Sebastian Inc. warehouse in Urawa. I know that is not your district, but Jimmy specifically requested you,_"

"Warehouse in Urawa," he repeated writing it down. "I'll be there in about twenty minutes with my best men,"

"_Your cooperation is greatly appreciated,_" she said, hanging up.

"Takagi! Satou!" Meguire yelled after hanging up. "I need your squads immediately. Someone work on getting a warrant for the abandoned Sebastian Inc. warehouse in Urawa! I want everyone to be in the squad cars and out of here in two minutes!"

"Inspector?" Takagi asked. "What's this about?"

"Detective Richard Moore's daughter and Inspector Hartwell's son have been kidnapped!"

"But sir! Urawa's not our district!"

"Does it matter? Kudo's on the trail, but he wants backup! And I intend to give it to him. He's never been wrong before, has he?"

"No, sir!" Takagi saluted, and then left to get his squad straightened.

"Did you hear that?" Cynthia whispered to her cameraman, Craig. "It's a breaking news story! I'll finally be on the map! Get to the van! We have to tell the station about this! Maybe they'll even let me cover the breaking story!" she squealed, earning the attention of several officers.

"Ehe," she sweatdropped, and then shoved Craig. "To the van!"

* * *

Rachel Moore groggily opened her eyes. The scenery had changed from her last surroundings. The soup was churning unsteadily in her stomach.

The soup!

Rachel's eyes flew open at the remembrance of her drugged soup. She tried to sit up, but found she couldn't because 1) she couldn't move and 2) she wasn't lying down anyway.

Actually, Rachel was chained against a propped-up wall on a platform, spread-eagled. She struggled against her bonds, but they wouldn't yield.

"Hey! She's awake!" came a male voice from not too far away.

"Good, then we may begin the festivities," came a surprising voice to Rachel. It surprised her because it was... feminine.

She turned her head to see where the voice was coming from, finding the only female in the room standing on a landing right in front of her. Behind the woman was a winged-back chair.

"Good evening, Rachel Moore," she began. "My name is... well it doesn't really matter does it? The point is, you have been a very naughty girl. And my staff doesn't appreciate it,"

"Where's Harley?" she demanded.

"He's fine," she said. A spotlight illuminated a bound and gagged Harley in chains, but on the floor, and not hooked to a... wall. "I figured he might want to watch the show,"

"Show?" Rachel questioned.

"Indeed," the strange woman replied. "I figured it would be a waste of feminity if you were still a virgin when we killed you. So, I gathered up some of the boys, and they elected someone to do the honors,"

A spotlight illuminated a dark, yet familiar face.

Whiskey.

* * *

"Ugh!" a very annoyed Serena exclaimed.

Kazuha and Jimmy had split from Serena when the tunnel brancked out. Serena went right, Jimmy and Kazuha stayed straight.

"Ow!" she said as she hit her head on the duct. She turned the corner, rubbing the sore spot. "How come _I_ had to go this way?" she pouted, although no one could hear her.

Suddenly, a light at the other end of the duct caught her eye. "Hey! Light!" she said, and started for it.

* * *

"Of course you have permission!" an eager man said over the phone to two people in a van. "Gimme your teaser and we'll put it on right now!"

The woman smiled as she pressed a button on the computer, sending the video stream.

The man on the other end smiled as he watched it. "Very good," he said.

And then he pushed a button.

The television that was turned on behind the man and woman in the van suddenly changed from its originally scheduled programming.

_Breaking News_

_"We have recieved word from the Tokyo police that another kidnapping has taken place. This one involves the daughter of the famous detective Richard Moore-"

* * *

_

A relatively-sober man spat out his coffee at the television. He grabbed the set, tilting it closer to his face. He listened intently to the story, even though it had interrupted his favorite Yoko Okino movie.

"_-Rachel Moore. The other person kidnapped is one Harley-_"

* * *

Another man, sitting in a police station in Okinawa, grabbed his television set too. His eyes burned into the screen as the reporter continued

"_-Hartwell, son of a police chief in the Osaka area. The two are said to be held at a warehouse currently out of use in Urawa-_"

* * *

A woman not _too_ far away ran from the television set, still listening intently as she grabbed a coat on the rack and cursed her husband for being so careless of their daughter.

"_-We have also been informed that Jimmy Kudo, the high-school detective who mysteriously disappeared for a while, is on the case-_"

The woman froze at that, on her way out the door, and allowed herself a small smile. Although she had been hard on Jimmy when he was little, she'd known him for all his life, and had no doubt that he would get to Rachel, whatever the cost.

* * *

The woman back in the van smiled as her own voice died from the TV.

"-_Stay tuned for more live coverage, later today,_"

After the report ended, she turned to the man sitting next to her. "We did a good job," she said to him. He smiled. "Now drive this van to Urawa!" she barked at him.

He immediately scrambled from his current seat in the back of the van to get to the steering wheel.

* * *

"You'd better not be looking up my skirt, Jimmy Kudo!" Kazuha shouted back at Jimmy, who was crawling behind her in the air duct.

"Kazuha," Jimmy responded, rolling his eyes, "One: I can't see anything in this duct, and two: even if I could, there's much more at stake here than your dignity,"

Kazuha blushed, even though Jimmy couldn't see. Then, a light caught her attention. "Hey," she hissed, "What's that?"

"What?" Jimmy asked. "I can't see anything!"

"There's a light up there," Kazuha said.

"It's probably a grate," Jimmy replied.

As they neared the grate, voices emanated from below. They caught whisps of the conversation.

"...Yeah! Whiskey's gonna do it!..."

"...She had it coming,..."

"...I mean, did you hear what she did!..."

The teens huddled around the grate, anxious to hear more.

"...And we get to watch..."

"...They're in there right now, telling her..."

"You may come in," a voice boomed above all the rest.

"...I can't wait!..."

"...It's been a along time since we've seen something like this!..."

A loud hissing noise indicated that automatic doors were opening.

"It's gotta be Rachel," Kazuha hissed to Jimmy.

"Let's go," Jimmy said, kicking out the grate.

He jumped down into the hall, sticking a foot in the door so it wouldn't close all the way. He held out a hand to Kazuha, who came down after him.

"Come on," Jimmy whispered to her, pushing the door open so they could slip through.

They ducked behind a pile of unused bricks as they looked around the room. The sight surprised them, but they refrained from letting out any cries.

* * *

"You promised me some fun, and play time-" Whiskey said dangerously. "-Starts now,"

Rachel's eyes widened.

He slipped a hand into his pocket, drawing out something red.

He pressed a button.

Out of the red thing came the sharp blade of a jacknife.

Her eyes went, if possible, wider.

He advanced toward her slowly, his face becoming more crazed as he neared her, eyeing her curves and thinking of the fun he was about to have. His smile grew with every passing step and Rachel would have curled into the fetal position if she could.

He came close, as close as he dared for now and smiled at her, a crazed madman's smile.

She cringed.

He turned back around to the audience of men behind a wall of glass, all in the same uniform, that had come to watch. They cheered him on and Rachel caught a glimpse of Harley's horrified face before her view was blocked by Whiskey.

He reached out a hand, touching the skin of her arm. She winced as he did so, his rough hand scraping against her smooth muscles.

His hands traced up her arm, connecting with the shoulder-sleeves of her tank-top, and sliding his fingers under the fabric, passing over her bra-strap. He brought the hand with the knife up toward the spot, cutting the fabric apart.

He turned back to the cheering audience as the shirt fabric fell away, revealing some of her skin and exposing said bra-strap, and even some of the top of the bra.

He turned back again, his face contorted with delight. He brought both hands up again to her other arm, cutting loose the sleeve and letting the top fall off, sliding down until it stopped on the shelf of her chest.

Rachel was horrified.

He turned around again, gesturing triuphantly to the audience, who cheered louder. They became quiet once again as he turned back to her.

Her eyes pleaded with him, looking for something that could make him stop. But he ignored her eyes and set his sights on her waist.

He slipped a hand down to the trim of her shirt and slid it under, feeling for the first time the smooth tone of her stomach. The knife came down afterward, tearing a rip all the way up her shirt and letting the piece of clothing fall to the ground. It exposed her chest and the whole of the black lacy bra.

He looked longingly at her torso, wishing he could touch it, but he knew that to make this fun for even the audience, he'd have to go lower.

Sneaking his eyes down to her skirt, he kneeled down, taking off her shoes and knee socks.

He then drew his hands up her legs to her thighs, and flicked up the short pleated skirt to show a small amount of what was underneath. He smiled as he dug his hand under the waist of the skirt. He took the knife and drew it downward, slicing a tear down it.

And the piece fell, leaving Rachel only in her scanties.

She shivered at the cold on her bare skin unused to the feeling.

Whiskey smiled upon seeing her and, after recieving due applause from the audience, turned to her with a glint in his eye.

Almost in slow motion, his hand reached out to take off the lacy bra.

She had never imagined anything like this happening to her. Well, she had, but it wasn't with this guy and it was definately on different circumstances.

'_Jimmy..._'

His hand was centimeters away.

All at once, a flying object came and hit him in the face.

"Don't you _dare_ touch her,"

* * *

TBC!

* * *

Haha! Who is Rachel's miraculous saviour? And if you don't know, you don't payvery much attention to details.

I'm sorry for such a late update, really I am. School started this week and... well y'know. Not much time to write, too much schoolwork, yadda yadda yadda.

BUT I WANT YOU TO REVIEW!

PLEASE!

IT REALLY HELPS!

**Next Chapter:** Rescue and escape

animebookworm44


	11. Chapter 11

And now... for my next trick:

THE NEXT CHAPTER!

YAY!

I decided to postpone my other one, due to lack of ideas.

THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS!

**Disclaimer:** Standard

Without furthur ado... Onto the chapter!

* * *

Serena Sebastian quietly slipped the grate out of place inside the air duct. The room below was illuminated by a desk lamp only, and she couldn't see that far into the room.

Poking her head through the space, she took a quick glance around the room. It wasn't too fancy. More like an corner office would be. But, as she had learned, she wouldn't underestimate and think this room was exactly as it appeared. There was probably a secret compartment somewhere.

**Chapter 11**

A hissing sound, like that of pressure being released, filled her ears.

Not thinking, she turned toward the door. Her upside-down vision starting to make her dizzy.

But, the noise hadn't come from the door. Moments later, the wall to her right began to come at her. Thinking she was seeing things because of her dizziness, Serena flew her head back up into the air duct and shook it.

Sticking it back down again, she turned to the right wall and, upon finding a woman standing with her back turned, grimaced hastily and pulled herself back up into the duct.

She held her breath as the woman crossed hastily over to the desk on the left wall, passing right beneath her. She exhaled as she heard the woman open a drawer of the desk on the left wall.

A beep was heard soon thereafter and then, Serena was spun into vibration as the room beneath her buzzed with excitement.

From what she could see, the bookshelf turned around to become a safe, and the desk turned into a high-profile computer.

She gasped inside the vent, immediately covering her mouth to prevent anyone else from hearing her outburst.

To her relief, the woman below seemed not to notice.

Intead, Serena watched as she pressed a button on the desk-computer, sending it into a flurry of excitement. A loading bar appeared, filling fast as it made a connection to whatever was on the recieving end. As the bar reached the end, a window popped up.

Inside this window, a person was outlined by a bright white light. The light came from behind, so he was just a shadow, but Serena could tell where his eyes were, as there was a glare from the glasses he wore.

"_What's the news?_" the computerized voice emerged. The man was obviously speaking through a voice changer, making his or her voice sound lower than it actually was.

"I decided to let the boys take care of the girl. They deserved a good time. And it would be a shame to let her die a virgin-"

Serena froze. '_Rachel..._'

"_Did you get the package?_" he cut her off.

"Sure I got it," she replied, shrugging. She turned, heading to the safe. Pressing a few numbers, it swung open for her.

Serena tried hard to see what was inside it. But from her current standpoint, it was impossible.

The woman closed the safe again, pressing a red button to lock it. Serena still didn't get a good look at her face, but something about her seemed familiar. She did, however, get a look at what the woman had taken out of the safe.

It was a regular box. Small, metallic, with one clasp in the middle of one side. The woman opened it, exposing eight solitary pill capsules, one side red, the other blue.

"Made the journey safe and sound," she said to the man.

"_Good. Use one on the girl,_"

"What! But I promised the boys-"

"_She will be our guinea pig. I don't want mess-ups this time. We replaced Sherry at the lab. Those pills will now do what they're supposed to-- at least they will on lab rats. We need a human test subject.. And since you have one- or two- all ready for execution, they may as well prove useful to us,_"

"But, sir-"

"_Are you questioning me, Madame Sebastian?_"

* * *

Whiskey cringed, holding his swollen cheek. "Who are you?" he questioned the dark figure, shrouded in shadow.

"Hmmm, maybe you've heard of me. The name's Jimmy Kudo," he said stepping out of the shadow of the pillar.

"WHAT!"

The men behind the screen pounded at it, trying to break through and help their comerade.

Kudo.

They'd heard about him.

The nosy detective that had a taste for trouble and found them in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

They'd been told he'd gotten his...

That Gin and Vodka took care of it...

...Whoops...

In moments, Whiskey was on the ground unconscious with a serious blow to the head, courtesy of Jimmy.

"Next time, keep your hands off her," he said to the unconscious man. He turned to the girl, chained and bound to a propped-up wall, and smiled at her.

Rachel was staring at him. Different emotions pulsed through her veins, conflicting with each other, and giving her an awkward feeling.

She could only stare as he came to her, taking out a swiss army knife and began cutting the chains on her arms. After that, her hands fell to his shoulders while he cut her feet free.

She leaned on him for support as he carefully lifted her from the platform and put her on the ground, never once breaking the so-important eye contact.

Instinct took over as they fiercely hugged each other, Rachel crying into Jimmy's shoulder.

"Jimmy," she said. "Jimmy Kudo, I love you too," she sobbed into him.

And, even in their current position, Jimmy couldn't help but smile. He cupped her chin and brought her face up to his, kissing her briefly.

"Hey," he said, "C'mon, you're safe now!"

She giggled, wiping her eyes.

"YOU IDIOT!" came a shout from nearby. "DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOU MADE ME-" Kazuha cut off, now afraid she'd let something slip to the boy at whom her shouts were directed.

He looked at her quizically, the gag over his mouth not allowing him to speak. Then his eyes narrowed. He started making talking noises into his gag, which were indistinguishable, at least until Rachel came over and untied him, afterward returning to Jimmy.

"Yeah, well that little stunt you pulled in that other warehouse DIDN'T HELP!"

"I RISK MY BUTT TO TRY AND SAVE YOU AND THIS IS THE THANKS I GET!" she shouted at him, taking a step closer.

"IT'S YOU THAT MADE MY BUTT IN DANGER IN THE FIRST PLACE!" he shouted back at her, coming closer to her.

"WELL EXCUSE ME FOR TRYING TO HELP OUT A FRIEN WHOSE BOYFRIEND WAS TURNED INTO A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD!"

"DON'T YOU BRING JIMMY INTO THIS, TOYAMA!"

"I'LL BRING IN WHO I WANT TO, AND YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!"

By now, they were really close, their noses almost touching, and Rachel and Jimmy were both rolling their eyes

"Oh, for god's sake, just KISS AND MAKE UP ALREADY!" Jimmy shouted at them, but they didn't hear.

"AND I DIDN'T HAVE TO COME AT ALL, YOU KNOW!"

"BUT YOU DID, DIDN'T YOU!"

"YES I DID!"

"WHY!"

"BECAUSE YOU WORRIED ME SICK, HARTWELL!"

"OH, REALLY!"

"YEAH!"

"THEN ONE MIGHT TAKE IT YOU LIKE ME, IF YOU WERE SOOOOO WORRIED!"

"WELL I DO!"

"OH, REALLY!"

"YEAH!"

"YEAH? WELL I LIKE YOU TOO!"

"FINE!"

"FINE!"

And the next moment, Harley had grabbed her and kissed her. Hard.

* * *

Serena's mind was in a frenzy.

_'New pill... Better pill... Rachel... Jimmy... Kazuha... Harley... Mom..._'

Loud noises from the door broke her concentration.

"No, sir," Mrs. Sebastian finished, her head turning to see what the commotion was. Quickly, she broke connection with the man on the screen.

The door burst open, and a solitary man dressed all in black entered.

"Ma'am!" he shouted, saluting. "Kudo and a rescue team have entered the building. They've secured both hostages,"

"What!" she shouted. "That can't be!"

"We saw it with our own eyes, ma'am. Kudo singlehandedly took out Whiskey. And that Toyama girl got Hartwell. But ma'am, didn't your readings show that one other person would be on the team if there was one?"

Her eyes flashed. "Serena..." she whispered, then looked up at the man. "Try to hold them at bay. When I give the signal, evacuate immediately,"

"Yes, ma'am!" he saluted again, and then left.

She turned back to the table, reestablishing the connection. "I'm sorry, sir. We've been found out. I'm going to get the prototype pills. I'll leave the old ones there, and then we'll have to self-destruct,"

"_Couldn't you just pack up and move?_" the man asked.

"Sorry, sir. We have too many things here," she said, cutting off the connection again.

She turned, her eyes flashing about the room. She went to the safe, passed the code and took out whatever was in it. This, Serena couldn't see.

But there was something she _could_ do.

* * *

"Hello, Japan, this is Cynthia Strongarm reporting at the scene of the abandoned warehouse in Urawa. Police and others, mainly relatives of the kidnapped people, have also started showing up. From what we can tell, the van behind me is in fact, that of an ally. Namely, Jimmy Kudo. Kudo is an accredited detective and has solved many cases in the Tokyo area, disapprearing for some reason last year,"

A commotion behind her made her pause in her commentary.

"Maguire! What's happened!" a female shouted at him.

"Eva Kaden! What are you doing here!" the inspector shouted back.

"She's my daughter too, Inspector-"

"Maguire! Where's my boy!" another voice shouted. This one belonged to a man.

"Hartwell! Oh, not you too!"

"Inspector!" the ever-familiar voice of Richard Moore filled the scene.

"Three's company," Maguire stated simply.

"What happened, Maguire!" all three shouted at once.

"Easy!" Maguire shouted back.

"They're in the building," a voice from behind them called.

"Huh?" the four turned at once to see a woman with brown hair. An earpiece was in her ear and she looked knowledgeable.

"Inspector, I am Sherry," she said simply.

"So you made to call to headquarters," Maguire said.

"That is correct. But I didn't expect you to bring so many people, namely the press," she said, pointing.

Cynthia and the cameraman, flinched and sweatdropped at the sudden attention.

"Oh, Nevermind them, just tell us what happened," Maguire urged.

"Alright," Sherry said. "The basic principle is that Rachel and Harley were captured, and Serena, Jimmy, and Kazuha are going after them,"

"What! Toyama and Sebastian are in there too!" Maguire shouted at her.

"Yes. There can't very well be a rescue team with only one person,"

"Officer Maguire!" came another female's shout. Two people ran to them.

"Vivian! Booker!"

"What's happened to Jimmy?" Vivian asked.

"Nothing yet, ma'am," Sherry answered. Then she started.

"_Sherry!_" came a crackling voice.

"Serena," Sherry answered, holding the earpiece tightly to her ear. Finally deciding that there would be no privacy, she switched the line to speaker.

"_Sherry! It's my mother! The whole thing had been my mother! She's one of the leaders of the Black Organization!_"

"What!" this drew gasps from everyone.

"_Listen!_" Serena urged. "_Right now, she's going to get some of the pills. They reconfigured them after you left. They're deadly now. They do what they're supposed to. But the other pills are in the same area as the new ones. The ones that you need as an antidote for you and Jimmy. I put a tracker on her, but I can't follow her, so I'm coming back. Tracker code 71248. Follow her and that's where you'll find the pills,_"

"Good job, Serena," Sherry praised.

_"But there's one other thing-_" Serena said.

"What?" Sherry asked, some of her hope dying.

"_She's going to make the building self-destruct,_"

* * *

"...Well that was a lovely display of affection..." Rachel commented, the other two still deep in their kiss.

"...I always wondered how this would happen..." Jimmy commented back, his arm around her bare shoulder.

Loud noises from outside broke their attention. Jimmy turned, looking at the source, and then whizzed back to Rachel. He took off his jacket, tossing it over her half-naked self and buttoning it in the front.

"_Kudo!_" came a crackling voice.

"Huh?" Jimmy said aloud.

"_No time, Kudo. Serena's informed me that she's put a tracker on the big boss. She's going straight to the pills, I'm sending you the coordinates,_"

"What are we waiting for?" Rachel said, running over to Harley and Kazuha to break them up.

"_One more thing. The building's gonna blow,_"

Jimmy's hopes crashed.

"Thanks, Ai," he said, using her kid name. He disabled the communication

He turned solemnly away from the three people.

"Kazuha!" Jimmy shouted.

Harley and Kazuha looked at him, Harley having to lean on her from tiredness.

"Take Rachel and Harley and get out of here," he said.

"What? But Jimmy­-" she started.

"Serena will meet you outside. I still have something I need to do," and he started to run, leaving three blinking teens in his wake

* * *

Celeste Sebastian walked briskly down the hall, turned a corner, and continued walking.

She knew her daughter was somewhere in this building. And if she'd been anywhere close to her, the operation was in danger.

Coming upon what she was looking for, she pressed the buttons on the keypad.

8,8,2,1,0

The door swung wide, emitting her into a brightly lit space.

The room was divided, more or less, into two equal parts. Through the center was a narrow path. On one side, a few pills with blue and red lined the walls. On the other, pills with red and white. She walked down the short hall, and came to the end, fishing something out of her pocket. Finding the key, she inserted it into a tiny keyhole on the back wall.

Sudddenly, the pills on each side started moving, and placing themselves into two, separate containers.

Turning to the blue and red wall, she waited patiently for the metallic pill case to come out.

When it did, she grabbed it quickly, completely forgetting about the case with the red and white pills, and left.

The doors closed behind her and she turned to the keypad. typing a set of numbers. Immediately, the alarm sounded, making a loud beep and flashing red lights all over the place, and a number pad flashed.

09:59...

09:58...

* * *

"What is that!" Vivian Kudo shouted at the sudden loud beep.

"It's the building! That was the key! She's set the building to explode!" Sherry shouted.

"Sherry!" came a voice from behind her.

"Huh? Serena!" she shouted back, a smile gracing her face.

The large crowd gathered around the girl, all firing questions. But serena ignored them, setting her sights on Sherry.

"That was the alarm. It's set for... ten minutes, I think,"

"How do you know?" she asked.

"Celeste needs that long to be able to get out of the building. Jimmy better get his butt in gear!"

A beep sounded from somewhere on Sherry. "She's moving again," she said.

"My mom?"

"Yeah, but don't worry. We got the position of the pill lab... now if Jimmy will make it in time,"

"Of course he will," another voice came. "Jimmy's the strongest person I know,"

"Rachel!"

"Kazuha!"

"Harley!"

"He'll make it out," Rachel continued. "Have faith,"

* * *

Jimmy cursed his bad luck. All around him, red lights blared. He followed the holographic image, noticing that the light for Kazuha wasn't present anymore. He turned left, and continued to run.

* * *

"Rachel, honey! We were so worried!" Eva said, running out of her husband's embrace to hug her daughter.

"Mom! Dad!" she shouted, hugging her mother.

"How did you get out?" he mother questioned after letting her go.

"Jimmy saved me," she said.

"From what?"

Rachel hesitated, unsure of whether to tell them about the attempted...

"Rachel..." her father spoke up. "What are you wearing under that jacket?"

And light dawned on marble head.

Rachel blushed and stared furiously at the ground.

"Rachel! You were raped!" Eva shrieked, causing strange glances from the people around her.

"Ah! No!" she shouted, "Well... almost,"

"Rachel Moore-" he mother started, but was cut off by a shout from Sherry.

"Kudo! You gotta get out of there! NOW!" she shouted into the tranciever. "Does it matter of you have to stay a child the rest of your life! It'll be okay as long as your alive!"

"_Sorry, Haibara, I can't be Conan Edogawa again,_" came the quick reply.

As the message sunk into everyone, Sherry continued to shout.

"Kudo! The way you're going, you're not gonna make it!"

"_Just tell me what the code is,_"

"How am I supposed to know!" she shouted, her own thoughts sinking in. "Kudo-- if we don't have the code, you'll die for nothing! Get out of there!"

"It's 8,8,2,1,0," Serena said.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"It was always my mother's secret password. It's my birthday. February 10, 1983,"

"_Thanks, Serena,_" Jimmy said over the line. Then a beep replaced his voice.

"The idiot!" Sherry shouted. "He cut off from us!"

"...and he's only got five minutes left,"

* * *

Jimmy sprinted faster than ever before. Even faster than when he and Rachel were being followed by that mob. The spot blinked brightly on his screen where the lab was. Another still blinked. That meant that the woman was still somewhere in the building.

He watched as his own dot neared where the solitary one was.

He turned a corner.

His eyes caught sight of a well disguised keypad.

Running over to it, he pressed 8,8,2,1,0.

The doors made a hissing sound and swung aside to admit him.

Running in, he found himself momentarily blinded by the bright light emanating from the room. He shielded his eyes with his hand as he walked forward furthur into the empty room.

'_There's nothing here,_' he thought, '_It was all for nothing,_'

But then, his eyes caught sight of a different color. One that wasn't white, but silver. Running over to the strangely-colored object, he found it to be a case.

A pill case!

Hurriedly, he opened it.

And a wave of hope swept through him.

They were the exact pills he'd been given when he turned into Conan.

Rishing thorough the doors, he didn't bother to close them as he sprinted back the way he'd come.

* * *

"Two minutes," Sherry counted miserably. All of them were in the spacious back of the van.

"Perhaps we should get away from the building," Hartwell suggested, "After all, you did say it was going to blow,"

"I agree," Richard spoke up.

"No," all three of the teens shot down. Rachel glared hoplessly at the blinking counter. Harley put his arm around Kazuha, who turned and buried her face in his shoulder.

"Be sensible, Harley!" his father shouted. "At least we may survive, even if Kudo doesn't,"

At that outburst, Vivian Kudo broke into tears. Booker put an arm around her, shooting a glare in Inspector Hartwell's direction.

Rachel's eyes glistened, but no tears fell. He'd be alright. She'd waited for him all along when he was right there. Now, he can come back fully, and she'll still wait for him.

"Rachel," Richard tried, "Please-"

"Don't try to talk sense into a lovestruck person, Richard," Eva shot down. "I didn't when I married you,"

Richard backed down.

"Please, Harley. You have an obligation to keep Kazuha safe. You can't do that if you're dead, can you?" Inspector Hartwell was still trying to talk sense onto Harley.

"No, I suppose I can't," Harley said, turning his head to look at the girl attached to him.

She looked up at him. "I'm not leaving, Harley," Kazuha said.

Harley smiled at her. "You heard the lady," Harley said to his father in a tone that indicated it was the end of the discussion.

"But-"

He was cut off by Sherry's clear voice.

"Thirty seconds..."

* * *

Jimmy cursed again. Whizzing by another keypad, he noticed the counter at 29 seconds.

He would be spending the last few seconds of his life running away from something he couldn't avoid.

'_Please let Rachel be safe,_' he prayed, running his legs off.

'_And let them all move on,_' he continued, as if writing his will to god.

'_And let them... be happy,_' he said.

10...

09...

* * *

"No," Rachel said. "No, no, no!" she said, louder.

Suddenly, she turned and sprinted.

She ran from the van, and out into the open air.

"RACHEL!" they called after her.

But she couldn't listen. She couldn't just stand there and do nothing while the love of her life was blown to bits.

3...

Something hit her foot. Looking down, she saw a case.

2...

She bent down to pick it up, opening it and gasping at its contents.

1...

She looked wildly around.

* * *

_**BOOM!

* * *

**_

"JIMMY!"

* * *

TBC

* * *

HAHAHAHAHA! I'm eville aren't I? Anyway, review. I think next chapter may be the last. What do you think?

Should I do a sequel?

REVIEW!

PLEASE!

YOU CAN TELL ME ANYTHING!

LIKE WHAT YOUR FAVORITE KIND OF CHEESE IS!

...although I'd much prefer that you review for the chapter...

**Next Chapter:** Finale!

animebookworm44


	12. Chapter 12

And so, the possible final chapter to THE BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE READERS PROFUSELY

AND THE REVIEWERS EVEN MORE!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CC/DC/MC, depending on what you call it

I AM SUPER SUPER SUPER SORRY ABOUT THE REALLY REALLY REALLY LATE UPDATE!

Since school started, I've been trying to do it at least once a week! I even postponed my other fic just so I could finish this one! But last Saturday I was kinda... banned... from the computer for getting too caught up that I forgot some stuff that I needed for refereeing a soccer match...

Oops!

And now, the **last chapter **of the Book of Knowledge...

* * *

"NO!" Rachel shouted, tears streaking down her cheeks. "JIMMY!" she searched the sight for a sign of her childhood friend.

"...no," she dropped to her knees dejectedly, ths metal case falling out of her hands and dropping face up to show rows of pills.

Red and White ones.

**Chapter 12**

Fires poppud up in the trees and bushes that lined the warehouse entrance. From a safe distance away, she heard shouts.

"Rachel!" Her father. "Get back here!"

"Rachel, please!" Serena...

"Neechan!" Harley...

"Rach? You there?" Kazuha...

"Rachel Moore! You get back here this instant!" Her mother...

"Y'know, you should probably listen to them," Jimmy...

JIMMY!

"It really isn't safe here," he continued, almost as if nothing happened. "The fire could spread, and we can't have you getting burned, can we?"

Rachel stood slowly and sluggishly. She made her way over to Kudo, tears apparent on her face and cheeks red.

**SLAP**

"Jimmy Kudo! Don't you ever do that to me again!"

"Aw, c'mon, Rachel! You know I didn't mean to!" Jimmy said, holding his arms out defensively.

"I should punish you! Worrying me like that,"

She puled him in and kissed him squarely on the mouth.

"Well at least you got those pills. I can be like this forever, now! They almost were caught in the crossfire," he began to sway dangerously.

"Jimmy? Jimmy!" Rachel caught the boy as he fell toward the ground. He let out a groan, and a hand came up to clutch his stomach.

"AH!" he shouted.

"RACHEL!" those at the van shouted through the smoke and fire.

"Rachel-" he panted, "Get out- of here,"

"Not without you," she said, leaning him on her shoulder and beginning her trek to the van. "I almost lost you... how many times is this now?"

Jimmy grunted, a sort of half-laugh through his pain. And then he doubled over again, his heart banged against his chest. "Rach-" he gasped. "I'm reverting-"

"What! Now!" Rachel shouted.

"That means Ai is reverting too," he deduced.

And, sure enough, a scream of pain came from ahead of them. One from the scientist Sherry.

His heart banged again, sending ripples of pain throughout his chest and his bones. His skin felt as though it were burning in the flames of the building fire. If they didn't get out of there now, it was likely they were never going to.

"Rach, just go. Bring Haibara the pills and leave me here," he grunted.

"No way," Rachel said, a look of pure determination on her face. Her will to get out of here alive and with Jimmy greatly overpowered any sense of fear or doubt she had in her.

She shifted Jimmy to lean on her and continued her journey to the van. She could see it now, through the flames, the heat distorting its shape.

Jimmy's skin started to smoke, sending another wave of pain through his body. He became hot to the touch and Rachel had to grit her teeth just to keep a hold on him.

They came to the wall of fire just as the people on the other side caught sight of their bulging shadow. They started shouting again. To Jimmy, through his pain, the shouts were indistinguishable. They were just high-pitched voices. They faded in and out, along with his vision. Rachel knew something was happening when he felt like a deadweight in her arms.

"Rach," he gasped, eyes bloodshot, "You can get through- easier- by yourself- drop me here- please,"

"How many times are you going to say that, Jimmy?" she asked, her voice soothing and soft. Tears welled in her eyes again.

"As long as- I need to-" he panted, voice raspy. "As long as- you're not safe,"

Fire danced before her eyes as the smoke began to clog her lungs. She coughed madly, finally dropping to the ground, Jimmy rolling off her shoulder and falling unconscious to the earth beneath him.

The heat made her dizzy and her sense of direction suddenly left her. Everything was orangey and firey. And hot too... very hot... At least she was getting a little more oxygen down here...

Another pained gasp from Jimmy brought her somewhat back down to earth. She fumbled over to him, reaching to touch his sweat-slicked forehead that was hotter than the fire itself, burning her hand on contact.

So this is what he felt like...

* * *

"Rachel!" Kazuha shouted through the flame. It thoroughly blocked any visual she may have seen.

"Kazuha! Get away from there!" Harley shouted, grabbing her shoulders and making her take a step back.

"She's alive, Harley! I know she is!"

"I know that too, Kazuha! But you're not going to help her any if you go off and get yourself burned!"

A mangled shout from behind them made them look once again on the pained face of the scientist. They never knew reverting back to a child might be this painful.

Sherry was lying on her back in the van. Luckily, Inspector Meguire was able to block the camera crew from the horrific scene.

Her skin actually started to smoke, sending the EMTs that had arrived on scene into a flurry of panic.

"There's nothing you can do-" Sherry choked out to them, "It's unrivaled technology- It is fitting that I should go through it- myself being the one who created it-... Kudo's turning back too,"

At the mention of Jimmy's name, almost everyone turned away. No one knew whether to believe he was alive or dead.

But it did resolve Kazuha's doubt about Rachel.

"Rachel!" she called again. "Rach- huh?" the appearance of a shadow through the fire caught her attention.

"What is that?" Serena, who had just come over, asked.

Harley turned to see where she was looking.

The shadow didn't look human. It was hunched over, some strange appendage growing from its side. This couldn't be Rachel. Not even fire could distort something this weird-looking form a human figure.

"Is it Rachel?" her mother frantically asked, coming over to see what they saw.

"...No..." Kazuha said.

"...What _is_ it?..." Harley questioned.

Inside the van, Sherry desperately sat up. Seeing the shadow for herself, she smiled. "I'ts Rachel... and Kudo,"

"WHAT!" everyone shouted.

"Rachel!"

"Jimmy!"

"Someone get a fire hose!"

"We gotta get them out of there!"

Kazuha remained where she was to watch the figure while everyone else ran around trying to find something they could do to help. "C'mon Rachel," she silently prodded.

Her eyes bulged as she saw the shape drop to the ground. She let out a cry.

"Kazuha! What happened?" Harley shouted from her left.

"Harley! They disappeared! They were there one second, and the next second, they were on the ground! I can't see them anymore!"

"They're gone!"

"WHERE'S THAT DANG FIRE HOSE!"

"Rachel!" Kazuha coughed. "Jimmy!"

"Did someone need a fire hose?"

"YES!"

Another minute, and firefighters were spraying water onto the scene. Through the fire, they saw a figure. They stopped spraying. It stood upright, walking toward them nonchalantly, with what seemed like a bundle of clothes in its arms.

"AAH!" someone screamed behind them. It was a little girl's voice.

Most turned to look, but Harley, Kazuha and Serena all knew that Ai had just turned back into a little girl. Their eyes were glued onto the approaching figure. It stepped out of the fire.

"Rachel!" all three shouted, running toward her.

The girl was crying. Jimmy's oversized jacket only covered partial amounts of her body, while her skin was covered with patches of soot. In her arms, she held a small bundle that, when you looked closer, seemed to have large clothes.

Rachel fell to her knees with exhaustion, smiling that they had made it out, through all of her tears. She turned her attention once again to the little boy sleeping in her arms. She looked up when she felt three presences next to her.

"Rachel!" Serena said, getting to her knees and hugging the girl around her shoulders.

"You had us worried there," Kazuha said, hugging her too.

"But it's no biggie," Harley said, sweeping his hands under her arms and helping her to stand.

She smiled at all of them.

"Rachel!" her mother sounded relieved.

"Well, dear, I hope we won't have to go through that again," Vivian Kudo said, coming up to her and giving her a quick kiss on the forehead, taking the boy from her arms at the same time. "Now you, Jimmy Kudo, have been a very naughty boy,"

"I'm sorry mommy," he mumbled. This led to an astounding "AWWW!" from the crowd.

She cradled her son in her arms like she used to do when he was actually the age his body showed.

"Did you get it?" came a small voice.

Rachel looked down to see the little girl Ai Haibara looking up at her, clothes swimming around her. Rachel smiled and reached into her pocket.

She drew her hand away at first, the metal having been warmed beyond belief when they were inside the flames. But then, she bravely took the case from her pocket and showed it to Ai.

And Ai smiled.

Jimmy heard voices all around him. They sounded excited, their high-pitched tones driving him farthur from the place of peace and quiet inside his mind.

'_Ugggg... what's going on?_' he asked himself, his eyes adjusting to get a visual of the scene. "Ah! Mom!" he shouted, pushing away from Vivian Kudo. This startled her and everyone around so much that he was able to worm out of her embrace and fall flat to the ground.

"Jimmy!" everyone shouted.

* * *

Ai began work on her antidote the next day, with police supervision. It was almost humorous to watch a little girl work on a computer full of equations and numerical problems. And what's more- actually understanding it.

Eva stayed with Richard to watch over her daughter's recovery. Although Rachel had only minor injuries, Rachel hoped that this might mend the rift between her father and her mother.

Richard himself seemed to act more maturely with Eva in the building. He didn't drink nearly as often, and actually solved a few cases by himself, having still not been told that Jimmy had actually been the one solving all on his cases in the first place.

Rachel felt her family had come back to normal, her mother and father still got into petty fights, but it felt better to have them both under one roof. She went over to the Kudo mansion every day following the incident (the visits growing longer every day) to check up on Conan and talk with Kazuha and Harley.

These two teens had been invited by the Kudos to spend a few weeks with them in Tokyo to wait out the rest of the investigation. Officer Hartwell didn't seem too happy about this at first, wanting Harley to take Kazuha home as soon as possible, but eventually let them, with prodding from Inspector Meguire.

Meguire and his boy's got full accounts of the information from both Conan and Ai. They utilised this to update an account on the Black Organization, although both Conan and haibara doubted that they'd catch them now.

Serena returned home to her father, her mother waying heavily on her mind. There was no indication of whether she'd ever see her mother again-- and she wasn't sure she'd want to. Especially since that would mean they'd have to come in contact with the Black Organization again, and she wasn't too keen to do that anytime soon.

There were no signs of the Black Organization after that. Conan suspected that they'd take a while to cool down after their exposure to the whole of Japan. His suspicions were that they had left the country completely, but they'd never fully be gone.

Conan relaxed and took it easy while Ai worked on the antidote. His recovery was slow and painful since, in addition to the pain he'd gone through by reverting, he also was suffering from semi-severe burns. Both of these having happened at the same time, they put a lot of stress on his body, which therefore led to Conan being bed-ridden.

On the fated day, Conan and Ai said goodbye to the Jr. Detective League. Needless to say, the three had seen the news on the day of the incident, and knew their secret. The goodbye was a sad one, although Ai and Conan both promised to come say hi to them sometime, in their actual bodies.

Booker Kudo still wrote his books, and they were still read like wildfire throughout the country and others. No longer really regarded as "fiction" the book gained a new audience, including people in Japan.

Even though they knew the actual Secret life of Conan Egogawa...

* * *

"Hey, Jimmy! Feeling better?" Rachel greeted, opening the door to his bedroom. In her arms, she carried a boxed lunch that she'd made for the little guy. She came over to the bed, pulling down the covers to see the boy's face. She was surprised when the bed was full of nothing except pillows.

"Looking for me?" someone asked from behind her.

Rachel whirled around to see the actual Jimmy Kudo standing behind the door, a place where he was sure she wouldn't spot him when entering the room.

"Jimmy? Is that really you?"

"Well let's see," Jimmy teased. He looked up at the cieling as though thinking. He put up a finger as he counted the list, "One, there is no Conan in the bed. Two, I am standing right here. And three, Ai finished the antidote yesterday. So, yeah. I must be Jimmy Kudo,"

"Kudo you smarty-pants!" Rachel scolded, flying toward him and hugging him. "You're back,"

"I'm back," Jimmy repeated.

Rachel let him go, wrapping her arms around his neck instead as his wrapped around her waist.

"I' love you, Jimmy Kudo," she said.

"I love you, Rachel Moore," he replied.

And he kissed her.

* * *

**END!

* * *

**

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I actually finished it! I honest-to-goodness actually finished it! I'm so proud of myself.

See? Now wasn't that worth the wait?

Ha! Now that it's over:...

DO YOU WANT A SEQUEL!

Huh, huh? Do ya? Do ya? TELL ME!

Well, since you're suce good reviewers, I'll give you a sneak peek of my next creation! Those who've been waiting for another one like **Dance with Destiny**, your wait is over! Only this time, I wasn't so obvious about who the killer was...

* * *

**SNEAK PEEK!

* * *

**

Midnight Masquerade Murder

* * *

"JIMMY!"

"Heya, Rach, long time, no see!"

* * *

"He'll never let me go,"

"Watch and learn. Good sir! I come bearing gifts!"

* * *

"Harley and Kazuha are going too?"

"Well sure! Both Harley and I were invited as guests of honor. And we were told to bring dates. So... wanna go?"

* * *

"DO I!"

"Hello, my name's Robert Bucksworth-"

"-Arianna Bucksworth-"

"-Brian McGregon-"

"-Henry Callaway-"

"-Genevive French-"

"-Catlin O'Flaherty-"

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

"What's the matter?"

"HE'S DEAD! ROBERT BUCKSWORTH IS DEAD!"

* * *

"So that means, the killer must be... YOU!"

* * *

Hahaha! So, how do you like it? Pretty cool, huh? These are just snippets, so you can expect more detail in the actual thing. Don't wanna give away too much now, do I?

animebookworm44


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